All I Wanted
by Janis 70
Summary: AU (All Human) The lives of two lovelorn spouses from separate marriages struggle to resist their vulnerabilities and temptation for each other. Will they fight their desires and do what is right? Or will they follow their hearts and do what they want? (Buffy/Angel)
1. Chapter 1

**Sunnydale, California  
**

 **Afternoon**

 **Playground**

Sitting on a bench facing the jungle gym playground, three women sat side by side in mid-conversation as they watched their children play.

Anya Jenkins-Harris, a beautiful woman with honey blonde hair animatedly spoke about her marital dilemmas with her two best friends since high school. "… we were on vacation in Bora Bora with eight other couples, and there was this Polynesian woman… Xander couldn't keep his eyes off of her breasts." She looked down at own average sized breasts, "Why can't _my_ breasts be as attention-grabbing?" Anya sighed heavily looking down at her chest then said, "It was the longest two weeks of my life. But the sex was still good." Anya added thoughtfully.

Beside Anya was Willow Rosenberg, an attractive redhead with a kind smile. Her conversation overlapped Anya's in a non-competitive way, "If I take the _Intro to Psych_ this semester with Professor Walsh then I'd be derailing the programming and coding computer course—and that's why I'm in graduate school." Willow chewed on her bottom lip, "Should I take the Psych course?"

In a short minute, the conversation shifted from their daily struggles to the thing they now all had in common: their children. They spoke about pre-schools, which their toddlers would be entering into in September.

Smiling politely as a skilful way to mask the familiar feeling of desperation and her own unhappiness, Buffy Summers-Finn tossed her fleeting attention back and forth between the women. Her mind went back to the memory of who she had been before she had gotten married and had a child.

In another life, only three years before, Buffy was on her way to being on to the top of her game as an art dealer in Los Angeles. But all of her dreams of owning her own gallery and being the most sought-after art dealer on the West Coast came to a screeching halt as soon as the test stick turned positive.

Her husband, Army Major Riley Finn is a traditionalist. He insisted they'd get married despite only dating a mere five months. At the time, Buffy knew she was in love and more than anything wanted to marry him. So she did, though she never expected to give up everything she's worked so hard for and become a suburban housewife. Buffy often asked herself, what was she thinking? Was she so blinded by love that she didn't see exactly what was in front of her?

"Xander and I were having sex last night and he fell asleep," Anya told them with wide eyes. "He woke up and apologised and you know what?—I didn't even notice." Anya shrugged then sipped the iced coffee in her hand.

Willow snorted a laugh, "He's been doing a lot of double shifts at the construction site, huh?"

Anya nodded, "The time for the new high school Science Building sped up about a month."

Buffy's gaze drifted over to the play area and a small faint smile tugged at her lips as she watched her young three-year-old bounce on the small metal pony on a spring. Her little girl was laughing and tossed her little head back having a blast.

Never before did Buffy think she'd ever have children until it happened. For months after the birth, Buffy spiralled into a pit of frustration, annoyance, and uselessness. Being a high ranking officer in the Army, Riley's time and his attention has always been limited. His focus was mainly on his work. Being a traditionalist as he is, Riley held the belief that all women wanted children and all women knew exactly what to do with a child.

It had taken Buffy about a year and a half to finally get a handle on having a child and the new adjustment to her life. She was accustomed to the fast-paced city life, multi-million dollar art deals, and designer _Manolo_ _Blahnik_ shoes.

Now, Buffy spent her days feeling suffocated at the playground listening to her friends talk about their ordinary lives and microscopic hardships all the while she watched this strange little person, who called her, _Mommy_ play by herself.

* * *

Looking around at the small playground, Buffy wasn't sure why they even came here, Lucy never played on anything else besides that metal pony spring ride that was about as old as Buffy. Her daughter barely interacted with Willow and Anya's kids.

Then again, Buffy knew the answer to why they kept coming back. It wasn't about meeting her friends every day at the same twelve o'clock time or giving her daughter a chance to run around, it was because otherwise, Buffy would've gone crazy trapped in the house all day with this unknowable little person.

Suddenly, Anya's hand grabbed Buffy's, pulling her out of her swirling drain of thoughts.

Buffy looked at Anya and frowned, "Look." Anya said, nodding in the direction of a dark-haired man walking along the iron gate with a little dark-haired boy about four years old on his shoulders, holding his arms out as if he was flying.

The women's eyes were glued onto the gorgeous man as he entered.

The sinfully handsome and mysterious father wearing a charcoal coloured button down shirt and dark coloured pants had become a regular to the playground for the last several weeks this past spring, before abruptly dropping out of sight.

The women had taken to calling him, 'The Vampire' for reasons, Buffy didn't really understand. They never came to the playground at night nor did he appear to be a bloodsucking fiend. Perhaps it was because of his dark clothing, hypnotising dark brown eyes, or the fact, 'vampires' seemed more romantic than 'just an average man' with a fashion sense and fantastic DNA. 'The Vampire' was a merely a fantasy that had been conjured up in their minds—well, mostly Anya's pornographic mind.

'The Vampire' laughed as he lifted his son off of his shoulders and set him down onto his feet. The young four-year-old chased his father around the swing set, trying to catch the tail of his shirt but missed him by inches.

Unlike the mothers on the bench, the mysterious father was engaged with his child.

He picked the boy up by under his arms and placed him into the seat of the swing.

The women sat unblinking as they watched the gorgeous father push the young body in the swing.

It was then Buffy had realised how much of a hole this mysterious gorgeous man had left in their emotional lives of herself, Anya, and Willow. Barely a day went by without either Anya or even Willow speculating about the reason for his absence or the likelihood of his return.

"After all this time… there he is." Anya sighed dreamily and crossed her leg of her knee holding her chin her hand as she watched the gorgeous man push his son on the swing. "Two days in a row?"

Willow smirked, "Maybe he just needed a vacation."

"From what?" Anya frowned, turning her eyes to Willow.

"From being 'The Vampire,'" Willow smiled.

Anya nodded her head with agreement, "It's a dirty job. But someone's gotta do it. I mean my husband falls asleep during sex, I need _something_ to fantasise about."

The mysterious man or 'The Vampire' looked up from his son to the women across the playground watching him intently. He tossed him a tugging smile that could melt any girls knees into a liquid puddle.

"What's his name?" Buffy suddenly asked.

Willow and Anya looked at their friend with a bizarre glint in their eyes thrown by the question.

"We've never actually, uh, spoken to him," Willow said.

Anya frowned, "I mean I would but I'm, uh… married to a man who falls asleep during sex."

Willow nodded, "Yeah, and I'm… not interested in men. Married to a woman, remember?"

Buffy cocked a high brow, "We spend all of this time talking about him and coming up with ridiculous nicknames for him and we still don't know his name or his son's name?"

The two friends stared blankly at Buffy.

"It's awkward," Willow said.

"Our kids play at the same playground on the daily, asking him what his son's name is not a big deal." Buffy sat back, crossing her leg over her knee.

Across the playground, Lucy managed to get herself off of the metal pony and wondered over to the swing set beside 'The Vampire' and his nameless son.

"Mommy! Push me!"

Buffy turned her eyes, following her daughter's squeaky voice to the swing-set.

Releasing a breath, Buffy said, "Alright. I'll be right there."

Willow and Anya's eyes widened as they watched Buffy cross the playground to her daughter unable to help but wonder of how her friends were going to react to her impending proximity to 'The Vampire'.

* * *

At the swing-set, Buffy lifted Lucy into the seat and started to push her daughter. She stood beside 'The Vampire' and tried to appear casual.

The man glanced over at Buffy and his expression was unexpectedly serious.

For the first time in what felt like two lifetimes, Buffy felt fluttering butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

The boy peered over his swing seat eyeing Lucy with a scepticism. "Daddy, how old is she?"

"Lucy, sweetie, tell the boy how old you are." Buffy gently coaxed.

"Three!" Lucy jabbed corresponding fingers into the air with a toothy smile.

The boy's dark eyes brightened, "I'm four! My grandmother lives in Ireland! She doesn't have a swing." He stated.

"Do you like to swing?" Buffy asked the boy and looked at the mysterious man, catching his tugging smirk.

"I like to swing _really_ high!" The boy shouted.

'The Vampire' chuckled and shook his head as he tussled the boy's dark shaggy hair. "Don't listen to him. I'm Angel, by the way."

Buffy returned his easy smile and said, "Buffy."

"You guys come here a lot?"

"Almost every day for the last few weeks. We used to go to the playground by the high school but since all of that construction, here is a lot quieter."

Angel slowly nodded his head in agreement, "That's understandable."

They stood in a comfortable silence for a few short minutes. Angel shifted his gaze back over to the beautiful golden-haired woman, studying her features for a moment. The bridge of her pert nose had a slight bump, her rosy lips were slightly parted, and her skin was tanned from the summer sunlight. She was certainly beautiful—no _gorgeous_ Angel decided.

He chuckled to himself, which grabbed Buffy's attention, "You know, you're the first person here who's ever talked to me." He looked at Willow and Anya on the bench watching the pair with keen interest and curiosity.

"You make them nervous." Buffy suddenly blurted without thought.

"Oh, right… I guess you don't get many fathers around here during the weekdays. You don't need to be polite, you can ask."

Buffy frowned, "Ask what?"

"What I do for a living?" He said as he pushed his son on the swing.

Buffy smiled to herself, "Okay, what do you do for a living?"

Angel's smile widened, "I'm the CEO of _Wolfram & Hart_. It's a law firm in—"

"—Los Angeles."

With surprise, Angel looked at her, "You've heard of us?"

"I've done many business deals with your law firm." She noticed the curious look in his dark beautiful eyes. "I'm an art dealer—or I _was_ an art dealer."

"Was?—What happened?"

Buffy released a breath and looked down at her daughter as she combed her fingers through the girl's dirty blonde hair when she said, "I got pregnant."

Angel eyed the beautiful blonde shocked by the solemn way she had delivered this confession, with no apparent sense of being looked at oddly by the slight sadness in her voice. Most women he's ever met were never like this—Except, perhaps his own wife.

The pregnancy of their son was a total shock to them. His wife, Darla didn't resent their son but the young boy had fallen victim to her lack of interest. She never bothered with the child on most accounts. Hours after the birth, she had hired a live-in nanny, giving her most of the responsibilities.

Angel couldn't bear another day of their son, Steven not knowing his parents. Since he was the CEO of a prestigious law firm, Angel took the opportunity and cut back some of his hours in order to spend a bit of time with his son, while he was still young and impressionable. Angel knew what it was like to grow up without a father present and never wanted that for his boy.

Drifting from his thoughts of his particularly vain wife, Angel focused his attention back on Buffy and besides finding her achingly beautiful he had noticed something else about her, something that was just as attractive as her bright green eyes. She seemed a little lonely but unwilling to completely open her heart at the slightest sign of interest, that was something he could easily relate to.

"Daddy finished," Steven stated.

Angel shifted his gaze down at his son. "You sure?"

" _Daddy_ , I finished right now!"

"Alright," Angel lifted the boy from the swing and placed him down on his little feet.

Buffy stopped the swing and helped her daughter out.

The parents watched as Steven took off running towards the slide. He paused and looked back at Lucy, still standing by her mother.

"You coming?" He asked.

Lucy frowned and looked up at Buffy for approval. Buffy nodded her head with a smile, happy her young daughter had finally found a friend.

"I'm happy she's finally found someone to play with," Buffy stated watching as Steven held out his hand for Lucy to take as they climbed up to the slide.

Angel looked at her wanting her to finish her thought.

"Lucy is a… little apprehensive when it comes to playing with others." Buffy frowned realising for the first time the parallels between herself and her daughter. "I don't know where she gets that from." She said with sarcasm.

Angel chuckled, "She's still young."

He didn't know what it was about her but there was something that attracted him to her. He had noticed her the first time when he and his son came to the playground. She sat on the bench with the blonde haired woman and the redhead across the way. They kept to themselves, watching him. He couldn't help himself and kept tossing his eyes back to the golden-haired woman, he know knew as Buffy.

The summer didn't seem so daunting now that he finally met the beautiful woman at the playground.

She lifted her eyes to his and they found themselves unable to look away from one another.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

**Buffy's House**

 **Kitchen**

Sitting around the table at the tail end of the dinner, Riley sat back in his chair full from the meal.

He turned his kind blue eyes over to his wife and placed his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze.

Riley felt the need to pinch himself every so often, just to remind himself of how lucky he was. Never in his life did he think a beautiful and successful woman like his wife would bat an eye in his direction.

Getting pregnant seemed to be the only way to slow Buffy down so he could finally catch her. For some unknown reason to him, Buffy always seemed just at fingertip reach.

Every day he was so thankful for his little daughter.

The fork in Buffy hand, that mindlessly pushed the food around stalled at his touch and she looked at him with wide and alarmed eyes—which he hadn't noticed.

She should consider herself lucky to have found a man like Riley. He was one of the good ones, despite his fairly conservative outlook on life. She had very little to complain about when it came to Riley; he was good to her, loved her dearly, and he was a decent father to their daughter. But the question she had been asking herself since giving birth to Lucy was, _why did she suddenly quit everything she's been working so hard for?_

"You finally opened that cookbook mom sent you." Riley wagged his brows, excited that Buffy was trying to be somewhat domestic. The transition from wife, motherhood, and housewife hadn't been easy for her—especially since it all happened at once.

Buffy did not respond but tossed him a small smile somewhat amused that he was so easily fooled. She had gone to _Boston Market._

She hadn't looked at the cookbook Nancy Finn had gifted her as a passive-aggressive wedding present three years before. Nancy was not all that thrilled of the woman her _only_ son had chosen for a spouse and to mother his future children. In Nancy's eyes, Buffy was too 'modern' and too 'independent,' she had trouble trusting any woman with any feminist views or worse, lifestyle. Buffy was the epitome of the downfall of women and the 'traditions' Nancy—herself has taken most of her life to perfect. She was also convinced it was Buffy, who had forced her son to have premarital sex, which had gotten her pregnant and that is why Riley married the girl.

Buffy wasn't sure where she had stashed the cookbook, she just hoped Riley would forget about it, but that was unlikely since she didn't exactly fit his particular criteria of a 'housewife'.

 **Days Later**

 **Afternoon**

 **Playground**

For the past few days, Buffy hadn't been able to concentrate on anything but 'The Vampire'… and the curious thing that had happened between them on the playground. For the first time in what felt like all of her life, she felt an undeniable connection with someone—a very unavailable someone.

She wondered what would've happened if she had met Angel first, before Riley, while she was still taking Los Angeles by storm.

Sitting alone on the bench, Buffy was grateful Willow and Anya were busy today. She didn't want to talk to them about what had happened days before with 'The Vampire'—especially when she didn't know herself.

She had been trying for almost an hour to read the book in her lap, _Seven Days in the Art World_ by Sarah Thornton, but failed to concentrate. Her mind kept going back to the handsome man with the angelic face. His name was perfectly fit to his _angelic_ and sinfully gorgeous features.

Lost in her mind, Buffy failed to notice someone step into the sunlight, casting a shadow over her face.

Buffy blinked and lifted her eyes to the handsome face that had been clouding her every thought for days. "Angel," her voice softly spoke his name as if it were a question.

Angel tossed her a tugging smile and said, "Where your friends?"

With a shrug, Buffy shook her head, "I have no idea—Busy I guess."

"Can I sit with you?" Angel asked.

Buffy removed her pocketbook from the bench, opening a spot for him. She watched with leaping butterflies in the pit of her stomach as he sat down beside her. Just being close to him felt exciting and dangerous.

Their eyes went to their children playing together by the slide.

"Mommy!" Lucy called out to Buffy from the top of the slide. "Look at me! Look at me!" She waved her arm high above her head.

Angel turned eyes from the slide to Buffy and watched an easy half smile tugging at her mouth. She waved to the girl.

"Catch me, Mommy! Catch me!" Lucy jumped up and down at the top of the slide.

"Lucy, don't jump like that, be careful." She said in a light authoritative voice as she stood from the bench and walked over to the slide to catch her daughter as she came down the slide.

As she walked over, Angel narrowed his eyes over her. Over the past four days since first meeting the beautiful golden-haired mother at the playground, Angel returned to the playground the following afternoon. Her friends were at the playground, sitting on the bench as they normally do but not Buffy.

Angel returned the next day then the next for three more days without any luck of seeing her again.

He didn't know what was happening to him. There was something about her that called to him. Was it the sadness in her eyes? Or the desperate need to hear her breathless voice again?

No matter what it was, his desire to just see her again was bordering on obsessive.

To have only spoken to Buffy for only minutes, Angel knew that she was different. Compared to his wife, Darla was gorgeous with a sultry curvy body, lustrous hair, and her prefect breasts. Buffy was thinner, her golden hair was longer, and her breasts were smaller.

But despite all of that, Buffy had entered his life that day, as if she was fulfilling a secret he didn't remember making. He wanted her.

Blinking out of his thoughts, his eyes focused on her as she walked back to him and sat down.

They shared a smile and looked back at their children that were now playing a game of chase.

The afternoon spent at the playground became a ritual.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**Angel's House**

The mansion on Crawford Street was an impressive piece of real estate. It had big windows that brightened the home with sunlight and a large garden courtyard, which gave the illusion of happiness.

Darla was indifferent about the home she occupied. She wasn't much involved with its purchase, leaving it to their realtor and one of Angel's assistants. She had sent her notes to the interior designer and expected perfection when she and her husband finally moved in.

With the exception of a single room, which happened to be a large room, Angel gradually began to populate it as an office. He had installed a tall bookshelf filled with books: Faulkner, Yates, Romantic Poets, Whitman, Ruskin, and filled leather-bound sketchbooks.

Homelife was strained.

Darla was a sought after Public Relations agent for the stars. On most days, she was working; attending lavish parties which brimmed with wealth and temptation.

When she was home, she spent little time with their son and demanded to have her fill of Angel.

Sex was the language they spoke.

Darla was often ready and willing for him to have his way with her and Angel could never deny his own need. She was a temporary fix for the ache in his body but the afterglow never lasted long.

On some nights, when Angel was alone in his office, lost in his own overactive mind, he wondered why exactly he had married Darla. Sure, she was beautiful and to some extent he loved her, but why did they decide that marriage was necessary?

During the entirety of their relationship, dating back years, it had been on and off again. They never took their relationship seriously, only wanting a bed companion and yet, now they were married.

There was something he needed which Darla couldn't provide him.

He needed something to look forward to.

 **Two Weeks Later**

 **Playground**

As the long summer afternoons went turning into weeks spent together, Buffy and Angel had gotten to know each other. The depth of their conversations remained surface level, though secretly, they were desperate to reveal their true selves to each other.

Angel spoke briefly about his upbringing in Ireland than his move as a boy with his family to California.

Buffy spoke about her former career, trying to appear as if the decision she had made to give it all up was a decision she did not regret. She wondered if Angel could see straight through her.

The intense way his dark brown eyes lingered on her as if he was trying to decipher her webbed tangles of half-truths, she just knew, Angel understood her.

Neither of them spoke about their spouses. It was an unspoken agreement that at the playground, which had turned into a sacred place, the talk of spouses was simply forbidden. For just a little while, they were just a man and a woman at the playground with their two children.

Having little choice in the matter, Steven and Lucy formed a fragile friendship. They'd often race to the slide or create games on the spot that would form some sort of imaginary adventure.

Every now and then, Buffy and Angel would trade offspring.

At the swing set, Angel pushed Lucy smiling as she laughed, holding her arms out wide as if she was flying.

Across the playground, sitting on a blanket with the remnants of a mid-day picnic, Steven sat between Buffy's legs as she animatedly read him a children's story.

The afternoons had been exhilarating for both Buffy and Angel. It was the most fun either of them had in years.

At least for a few hours, Buffy forgot about the longing to find her way back to the person she was. These afternoons had become important to her. She had also gotten the feeling that Angel needed these afternoons just as much.

On most days, they pretended that the connection they've built between them wasn't suffocating. Or that the longing to reach out and touch each other wasn't twitching their fingers.

Despite her almost desperation to be touched by Angel, she wanted just as badly to keep the innocent public life they've carried out in the open, with other parents and children also occupying the playground.

Into the early hours of the evening, they traded a melancholy handshake, which was the only contact to be made. Every time their hands touched, an electrifying cool sensation shot through their arms awakening their entire body.

The exchange was bittersweet, but it was a trade that needed to be accepted in order to have one more day at the playground.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Days Later  
**

 **Buffy's House**

 **Master Bedroom**

Sitting on the edge of the bed watching her husband pack a duffle bag of uniform shirts, BDU pants, and a pair of boots, Buffy couldn't help but feel excited about Riley's departure, though it would only last two weeks.

"Texas is only an hour ahead, so I wouldn't wake Lucy or you up when I call." He told her as he placed a folded green shirt into the duffle bag.

"We'll be waiting eagerly by the phone." Over the years of being with Riley, Buffy knew exactly what to say in order to give him security.

Riley looked up from the duffle bag to her and smiled. He stood straight and wandered over to her on the bed.

Buffy let him take her hands into his own.

"You're so beautiful." His blue eyes danced around her face and craned his neck down to gently kiss her lips.

She let him deepen the kiss. She knew what he wanted and since he'll be gone for a few weeks, she was willing to give it to him.

Wrapping her arm around his neck, Buffy kept Riley close as she laid back on the bed, taking him with her. Riley grinned against her mouth and immediately felt an uncontrollable wanting to take pleasure in his wife.

He settled between her legs and reached down, between their bodies and unfastened the buttons of her pants than his own.

* * *

They made love about two times a week and sometimes three if her 'itch' presented itself—which it rarely had.

Riley had often felt the 'itch' but it was Buffy that left him to scratch it alone.

She didn't know when her lack of sexual urge began. In the early stages of their relationship, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. They would make love sometimes twice a day.

Now, Buffy searched for excuses to be left alone. For just one more night she wanted to push off the _chore_ of sleeping with her husband.

She had no idea what was wrong with her. She loved sex. So why did she keep pushing her husband away? If she had given up everything else; her career, her independence, why did she practically give up the only thing she could take solace in?

 **Next Afternoon**

 **Playground**

The day began as a hot one.

Buffy, Angel, and their kids were the only occupants on the playground during triple degree day.

Together sitting on a bench shaded by a canopy of leaves from a large redwood tree, Buffy didn't realise she was staring at him. She could see the sweat soaking the midnight blue v-neck that clung to his tanned muscular body.

She found herself longing to lick the salty sweat right off of his skin. Her mouth dried and her heart raced at the thought.

"Hot enough for you?" He asked, turning his sunglasses covered eyes from the children sitting under another tree across the way.

"Um… yeah," she said, pulling her gaze from his and focused on the children than to the book that sat between them. "My book pages are stuck together." Buffy picked up the book, just as Angel reached for it.

Their fingers touched and lingered for a minute.

Buffy swallowed and watched as he drew back his hand and placed it on his knee.

"It's surprisingly humid. I didn't think Southern California could get that way." He said, keeping the conversation going but honestly, he was trying to ignore the tingling sensation of their innocent touch.

She looked down at the book than to the children when a thought entered her mind. She knew it was a thought that played with fire but she justified it as 'thinking of the children'.

"We have a sprinkler. Steven would like it. Cool off a little bit... Maybe have lunch." The words left her mouth without hesitancy.

Angel looked at her for a moment then nodded, "I think Steven would like that too."

 **Buffy's House**

 **1 Hour Later**

After watching the children play in the modest-sized backyard of a modest-sized house located in a modest-sized suburban neighbourhood, Angel tossed his eyes around the well-kept yard. He wondered if Buffy's husband was the lawn groomer or if they hired.

Only having a brief look inside the home, Angel made a brief 'compare and contrast' analysis of his own home compared to Buffy's. Her furnishings were in good taste but lacked an expensive quality like in his home.

There was an undeniable sense of 'homeyness' that Angel found himself craving for. The Crawford Mansion was gorgeous and it was filled with expense but it seemed only good for looking at. Entering into the Crawford Mansion no one would have ever thought a four-year-old lived there because it was so pristine.

Buffy's home felt comfortable.

* * *

Following Buffy, as she carried a sleeping Lucy up the stairs and into her bedroom, Angel placed his tired son beside his little friend on the bed.

He stood straight. His gaze was fixed on Buffy's hands as she pulled the hem of the dry t-shirt Steven wore over his belly.

Unable to look away from her, he watched as she stood straighter and glanced over her shoulder at him.

Quietly, they backed away from the sleeping children on the bed and closed the white bedroom door.

"This is amazing, Steven never sleeps," Angel whispered standing behind her.

Buffy felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck as he gently whispered. "Lucy'll be out for a while." She faced him. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"It's a hundred and six outside," Angel began to smile unsurprised by the suggestion. On most afternoons, Buffy arrived with a large iced coffee from the local coffee shop that was on the way to the playground.

She looked at him with playful narrow eyes, "Its never too hot for coffee."

"You're an addict." He teased.

"Do you want a cup or not?" Though the question itself was not flirtatious, Buffy couldn't help but think her devilry came a bit more sultry then necessary. She hoped he didn't notice.

The corners of his mouth widened, "Sure."

* * *

As Buffy disappeared into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee that neither of them really wanted but Buffy was desperate for something to distract her, Angel stepped into the hallway eyeing the photographs hanging strategically on a plain eggshell coloured wall.

A feeling of distaste knotted in his chest as he eyed the family photograph taken during a weekend away in San Francisco. He had never seen Buffy's husband before. He didn't even know his name. Buffy never mentioned it. She only referred to her husband as 'Lucy's father'. At the time Angel had found it interestingly vague that she often used such a term to describe her nameless husband. If it weren't for the set of rings seated on her left-hand ring finger, Angel never would've known that she was married.

Looking at him now, Angel was curious to know 'Lucy's father's' name. He wanted to know everything about the small family. Her husband looked like the blue-blooded, All-American type.

Turning his attention to another photograph, Angel stepped to it and felt a stabbing sensation piercing his heart. He figured Buffy would be a breathtaking bride. From the genuine smile on her face, he knew that she loved the man she was marrying. That sadness that initially attracted him to her hadn't set in her eyes yet.

Eying her husband in his service uniform, Angel should've known he was military. There was something about her husband that screamed 'white-bread America' and his career in the military seemed to be the topping to Buffy's husband 'All-American' persona.

Angel noticed a cracked open door and stepped towards it.

He pushed it open wider and stepped into the quaint study.

There was an untouched coffee mug sitting on a writing table in front of a window looking out to the neighbourhood. Over the tabletop was notebooks, record books, and a copy of _Sonnets from the Portuguese._ Paintings hung on the walls and some were set on the floor, leaning against the wall. Angel desperately wanted to know why she had chosen _these_ particular paintings.

Taking interest in a framed photograph set on the table, he picked it up.

A small smile crossed his mouth. It was a photo of Buffy standing in front of a large painting with a man; Angel assumed was the artist. In the photo, Buffy wore a tight light pink designer dress, bold in colour designer shoes. Her golden long hair fell in waves over her shoulders. Angel couldn't help but think how adorable she looked in a pair of dark framed reading glasses.

"I sold that painting for two million that night."

Angel whirled around, still holding the photograph.

"It was my first major sale," Buffy said, leaning against the door frame with her arms folded across her chest.

"What's the most expensive painting you've ever sold?" He asked as he placed the photograph back on the tabletop.

Stepping into the study, Buffy thought for a moment then said, "Thirty-eight million."

"Wow, really?" Angel asked.

With a nod, Buffy explained, "The painting was huge. It had to be stored in a warehouse."

"Where is it now?"

Buffy shrugged, "The buyer's giant mansion, I guess. I just sold the art. I never asked where the art was going to be shown to the world. But I'm pretty sure, _Wolfram & Hart_ did the paperwork for copyrights and insurance policy."

Leaning back on the edge of the desk, Angel crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "As the CEO of _Wolfram & Hart_, I'm embarrassed that I've never noticed you."

"You never would've, since I never went to the office. I just sent someone to bring you the files."

"Then I'm sorry I never noticed your errand boy."

Buffy let out a soft laugh. "You're forgiven."

Tossing her a small smirk, Angel picked up a book and raised his brows, " _Sonnets from the Portuguese_?" He looked at her with surprise.

"Have you heard of it?" She crossed the short distance to him and reached out taking the book from his hand.

Angel watched her smile softly at the book.

"I like the romance." She told him.

He swallowed trying hard to mask his conflicting emotions.

Buffy placed the thin book down on the tabletop and realised for the first time just how close she was standing beside him. She could feel the heat from his body and smell the lingering scent of his cologne.

His hand slowly touched the back of her hand.

They both stared down at their touching hands.

Genuinely startled by the intimate contact, Buffy lifted her eyes to his face with a soft gasp.

Angel turned his hand and grabbed her hand before reaching around her back to pull her into his chest. His head lowered and captured her mouth. It was an urge he's had for weeks.

He was ready for her to push him away and slap him hard across his face, but she didn't. Instead, she surrendered to the moment and deepened the kiss, opening her mouth, letting his tongue slip inside.

Soon, the moment was over and Buffy broke the kiss by pushing him away.

They stared at each other out of breath.

Buffy's hand went to her mouth registering what had just happened. Her lips still tingled from the electrifying kiss. His cinnamon spicy taste was still on her tongue.

Angel stood silently, missing her kiss. Though the kiss lasted for a moment, he was addicted.

Slowly, Buffy took a small step towards him and grabbed the back of his head. She pulled his face to her and crushed her mouth against his.

As their passionate kiss went wild and their tongues explored each other's mouths. Buffy pressed her body against his.

The blood in Angel's body shot down to his cock when a sighing sound escaped her lips.

Unable to control himself a moment longer, his hands fell down her back and grasped the backs of her thighs, lifting her up slightly from the ground. He took a step forward, seating her on the edge of the writing desk.

He then pushed the hem of her sundress up her thighs. Buffy's fingers went to his waistband. His mouth veered from hers and went to her neck. A breath caught in Buffy's throat when he gently bit down on her neck with his blunt teeth.

Angel's hand reached under her dress and into her underwear as she unfastened the buttons of his pants.

Her moans were muffled by his mouth as his fingers entered her. She bit his bottom lip and linked her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

Angel's free hand went inside his pants and freed himself. She scooted closer to the edge of the desk and sharply gasped, breaking the kiss and whipped her head to the side, biting her bottom lip when he entered her with a single thrust.

They stopped moving and looked into each other's eyes, having a silent conversation that they could only understand.

Then, after a long and still pause, Buffy released a breath as he began to move inside her.

The contents on the desk creaked and shook. Angel braced his hands onto the tabletop behind her as her ankles wrapped around the back of his thighs, keeping him close.

With one arm circled around his neck, Buffy grasped his chin with her other hand and kissed him deeply, which only added to his undoing.

They became near-frenzied as they moved against each other.

Buffy felt a pang of guilt, but the emotional desperation for the man, who wasn't her husband drove her mad with desire. She wanted him.

For the first time in years, Buffy felt alive.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Later**

 **Buffy's Study**

Adjusting her sundress, Buffy flicked her eyes to Angel as he fixed the front of his pants.

She was unsure what had just happened. Whatever it was, it was passionate, wild, and satisfying, but most importantly, it was wrong.

"Buffy—" he could see the wheels turning in her mind and more than anything he didn't want to lose her. Over the past weeks, she had become an essential fixture in his life, in which, he was desperate to keep.

"—Do you feel guilty?" She asked, interrupting him.

Thinking her question over, Angel looked at her. He could recognise the guilt etched in her beautiful features. He knew he _should_ feel guilty and disgusted with himself for his betrayal of his wife but he couldn't. No, Angel didn't feel anything but the desire to have the woman in front of him again.

"No. I don't." He said.

"I do," Buffy admitted. "I feel really guilty."

In a twisted way, Angel liked that she felt guilty because it meant her heart was much bigger than his and she was a much better person than him.

But he knew there was something there between them. It was now more undeniable than during their platonic friendship, in which, they've kept a respectable distance between each other. The connection was real.

"Did you want me?" He asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Buffy looked at him with wide eyes then pulled her gaze away unable to look at him in the eye and lie, so she didn't. "Yes," her voice was meek. "But it still doesn't change the fact that what we did was completely wrong."

"Do you still want me?"

Lifting her eyes to him, Buffy swallowed feeling that familiar pounding of her heart in her chest, which only happened whenever Angel was near. "Yes," Buffy admitted quietly.

Angel nodded and took a cautious step towards her, he reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Good. Because I want you, too."

For the umpteenth time this very day, Angel felt like he was finally in the right place at the right time. With the pad of his thumb, he caressed her cheekbone then her bottom lip; which was still slightly swollen from their kisses.

"Wanting you... it doesn't feel wrong."

Buffy couldn't argue that sentiment because she felt it too.

Lowering his head, Angel tentatively kissed her. Despite their previous passionate embrace, he didn't want to risk frightening her. He knew she felt guilty for their sinful act and he would've grimaced at the thought, but the deliberate deepening of their kiss betrayed her feelings. He wanted to know if she had put her mind at ease, like his own.

Falling into the vortex of her mouth, he moaned into the kiss and her fingers gripped his dark hair. Her other hand laid flat at the centre of his chest and fisted his shirt.

 _"_ _Mommy!"_

The little voice coming from the upstairs bedroom brought Buffy and Angel back to reality.

They broke the kiss, panting for breath.

Their eyes were focused on each other.

"The children are awake," Buffy whispered, her eyes were glued to his mouth.

Angel nodded wanting nothing more than to kiss her again. "Okay."

Freeing herself from his arms, Buffy walked out of the study, down the short hallway, and up the stairs to the children.

 **Night**

 **Buffy's House**

 **Master** **Bathroom**

In the late hours of the night, after Lucy had long gone to bed, Buffy stood at the bathroom mirror, wrapped in a towel, her hair still wet from her long hot bath.

She stared at her reflection.

Her mind went back to the afternoon.

For hours she's tried to process the events of the day. Suddenly, her entire world turned upside down and she's never felt so suffocated in her life. The deepening weight of her guilt made her mind feel heavy but the desire for the man, who wasn't her husband pierced her heart.

Buffy closed her eyes remembering the feeling of the way her heart raced in her chest as he moved inside her.

Their heavy harmonising pants for breath echoed in her ears.

She could still taste the thin layer of salt on his tanned skin as heat radiated off of his body.

Opening her eyes, Buffy stared at herself.

What was she doing?—She cheated on her husband; her nice, safe, and reliable husband.

The reoccurring thoughts of if she had finally lost her sanity entered her mind.

Slowly, her fingers touched her neck where she still felt the thrill of Angel's mouth tasting her skin.

All of her morals and reason within her mind, which was in overdrive told her repeatedly that what had happened between her and Angel was wrong and cruel to their spouses... but, Buffy wanted more.

She wanted his hands over her body, his mouth nipping and biting her skin, his cock inside of her—filling her. She wanted to cry out in pleasure and listen to his moans that formed in the base of his chest. She wanted to relive that feeling of uncontrollable passion.

The passion was addictive.

On the basis of their passion alone, it was enough to make her want to indulge in her sexual compulsion.

Buffy's green eyes focused on herself in the mirror.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Days Later**

 **Playground**

Sitting together on the bench as if they weren't having a passionate love affair, Buffy and Angel kept their eyes on the children playing in the sandbox and their conversation light.

Across the playground, Willow pushed her daughter, Ava on the swing. Beside the redhead was Anya pushing her daughter, Sarah as her eldest, Josh played with a few of the older kids at the monkey bars.

Thankfully for Buffy, neither Willow or Anya asked many questions about the gorgeous man she had befriended. The questions they asked were simple; his name, job, and if he was married. Unsurprisingly, Anya was disappointed with the answer to the last question but that didn't stop her from daydreaming of having wild and dirty sex with the beautiful man.

* * *

Quietly sitting on the bench together, appearing as casual as ever, Angel turned his head away, looking out to the neighbourhood as his hand inched closer to hers.

Buffy played aloof as if she hadn't noticed the ghost touch of his fingers caressing the back of her hand. She kept her eyes on the open-faced book on her lap as their fingers slowly began to dance together.

Angel felt like a schoolboy again as he counted the seconds until the time at the playground would end and Buffy would ask—as if it was an impromptu thought if Steven wanted to have lunch with Lucy at her house.

For days that had been their M.O.

No one took notice of it because it had appeared innocent. It was no secret that Lucy and Steven had become friends over the several weeks together.

 **Buffy's Study**

Resting back against the reading chair, Angel laid his head back feeling relaxed and sated. He stared out the window, watching the light breeze toss the leaves on the tree branch outside.

They had left the children to unwind from their lunch and sat them in front of the television to watch a random animated movie.

The last they had checked on the kids, they were sound asleep on the makeshift fort they had created out of the couch pillows.

Buffy and Angel took the opportunity to be alone.

* * *

Angel was shaken from his thoughts when he felt the toes of Buffy's foot touch his naked chest.

Picking up his head, Angel looked down at her with a tugging smile and grabbed her ankle. He traced the arch line of her foot with a finger and lifted his eyes to hers. Keeping his firm gaze on her, Angel gently brushed his lips against the inside of her ankle. He cocked a brow with a smug smile and kissed the inside of her ankle again.

Buffy laid partially on her side naked on the floor holding her head in her hand. Her smile grew as he began to trail his soft butterfly kisses up her leg.

Shifting onto his knees, Angel parted her knees apart, settling between them as he continued to pepper her tanned smooth skin with his mouth. He created a path from her pelvis, over her flat stomach, between her naked breasts, to her collarbone, up the column of her neck, until he finally reached her mouth.

Buffy's fingers threaded into his dark spiked hair, gripping it with need.

Hiding away in the privacy of the study, which had become a place she was beginning to think of as their own. Like at the park, in here, they weren't married to anyone else. They felt no guilt for their betraying act. No, in the safety of Buffy's Study, it was just them. It was a place they could truly live in an alternate reality; they so desired to be in.

Angel reached a hand between their bodies and gripped his standing cock and directed himself into her welcoming body.

A breath hitched her throat as he entered her.

It had been so long since Buffy felt the _need_ to be filled by a cock. Riley was good and she always came as they proceeded but she never felt the need to have him, then and there. The urge to rip his clothes off had died since having the baby.

With Angel it was different. Perhaps it was because it was new, dangerous, and forbidden. They weren't supposed to be doing this and that is what made the sex so exciting and passionate. The sex was very passionate. She could give him herself over and over again. He left her satisfied but hungry for more.

"God… you make me feel…" Buffy gasped into his ear as the pace of their thrusts sped up.

Angel turned his head to her and slowed down wanting to hear what she had to say. "Feel what?" He asked.

Embarrassed by her sudden outburst, Buffy turned her gaze from him, unable to look at him in the eye without turning a mortifying shade of red.

Gently touching her chin, directing her to look at him, Angel softly smirked, "You feel what? C'mon, you can tell me." He kissed her mouth.

Releasing a breath, Buffy looked at him and said, "Alive."

There was a certainty in Buffy's delivery that an ran lightning bolt straight through Angel. He looked into her eyes and agreed, "… Yeah. That's good. That's how you're supposed to feel."

Sweetly, Angel tucked her hair behind her ear and decided to open himself up to her. "I've never felt like this before, Buffy."

"I know what you mean." She touched the side of his face, tracing the line of his brow.

It was the closest they've ever gotten to admitting their love for one another.

Never looking away from her bright green eyes that he could drown into for days, Angel began to move inside of her again.

Their pace began slowly before it picked up in momentum as their pleasure surfaced to the edge.

It didn't need to be said that the part of the day when they needed to say their goodbyes was getting harder.

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	7. Chapter 7

**3 Months Later**

 **Angel's House**

 **Master Bedroom**

For the first time in a week, Darla was home for the night. She had been in the Beverly Hills area promoting an up and coming actor. Angel was sure she was also sleeping with the actor or whoever caught her interest.

It wasn't like Angel could truly be angry with her deceit since he was no better. The only thing that was different and could perhaps more damning to make him the 'true' bad guy is that he's in love with his 'mistress'.

Angel didn't know when it happened.

Maybe it was when he finally heard her soft breathless voice that made his heart pound in his chest. Perhaps it happened before that when his eyes laid on her for the first time at the playground. Or it happened the first time they made love—That's what it was, 'making love'. It was more than just sex. He cursed the Powers That Be that he didn't meet her first.

His mind went back to their last afternoon together.

It hadn't taken him long to understand the hardened shell she's created for herself. She wasn't one to easily express her feelings, but Angel was determined to know her, in every way that he could. He wanted to know her soul.

 **2 Days Ago**

 **Buffy's Study**

Angel never knew it could be like this.

He sat in the reading chair with today's newspaper in hand as Buffy sat at the writing table balancing her chequebook. The children were in the playroom having another grand adventure.

Lifting his eyes from the ink words, Angel's gaze lingered over Buffy's back and smirked, trying hard not to dwell on how strangely normal the scene was. It was as if they were a real couple having a quiet and mundane afternoon when the truth was so much more sordid and forbidden.

Feeling his eyes on her, Buffy glanced back over her shoulder, pinching her brows together, wondering his thoughts. "What?" She eyed him suspiciously.

With a curving smile, Angel refolded the newspaper and set it aside. Then silently held out his hand for her to take.

Placing the pen down beside the chequebook, Buffy turned to face him in the chair and took his outstretched hand.

She let out a snorting laugh when he playfully yanked her arm so she would get out of the chair and fall across his lap.

Hooking an arm around his neck, while her other hand touched his throat. Angel held a hand around her back and his other went to the back of her knee, pulling her tighter into him.

Her fingers gently combed through his dark spiky hair, Angel closed his eyes with a soft hum. Unable to resist, Buffy closed the small space between their mouths and brushed her lips over his.

Opening his eyes to at her, Angel's smile grew. He always felt the need to smile whenever he was with her. To him, Buffy was perfect happiness.

"I got you something." He said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"You did?" Buffy tilted her head to the side and watched as he reached around his back and took out a small brown paper wrapped package.

"Excuse the wrapping job." He handed her a small present. "Open it."

With a smile, Buffy took the present and carefully unwrapped it.

Angel watched her expression with boyish anticipation.

In her hand, she held a thin hardcover book. She turned it around and gasped, "Angel..."

"It's the first edition of _Sonnets from the Portuguese_."

"How on earth did you find this?" Buffy asked, lifting her gaze from the book to his face.

Angel shrugged and ran a hand over her leg, "I know a guy who collects first editions." He didn't want to tell her that he scoured the country and even crossed international lines using the clientele from the law firm in order to track down this book for her.

"God, this must've been a fortune—I can't accept this." Buffy tried to give it back to him.

Angel smirked and pushed it back towards her. "I got it for you because I knew you would like it—Do you like it?"

Buffy panicked, "I don't have anything to give you—"

"—Do you like it?" Angel asked her.

"—But—"

"— _Do_ you like it?" He asked a bit more firmly.

With a released of a heavy sigh, Buffy finally said, "Yes, I love it." She leaned forward and kissed his mouth.

"Good," Angel touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, "that's all I wanted. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

Angel's sincere expression grew serious, "Are you?"

She looked at him with a deepening frown.

"I see it, Buf, whenever you think I'm not looking—I can see it. You're not happy."

"I am," the words weakly left her mouth, trying to convince herself that he was wrong. "You make me happy." She cupped his cheek.

Angel nodded, "But I'm not enough."

"I don't know what you mean—" she tried to get off of his lap.

His arms tightened around her, "—You know what I mean. Why did you stop?"

"Angel—"

"—We've been dodging this question for a while now... Please, answer it. Why did you stop your career—a career you've worked so hard for? You've could've done it all—be a wife and a mother and a successful career woman. Why did you stop?"

Wanting out of this conversation, which called her out on her regrets from the decisions she's made, Buffy finally removed herself from Angel's arms and got to her feet.

Angel watched as she placed the book on the writing table and took off her reading glasses. "I didn't think I was going to," Buffy admitted. "It wasn't my plan. I thought… I'd get married to the man I love," Angel winced at her words, "have a baby, and in a few months, I'll pick up where I left off." She faced him. "But Riley had other plans. He said I needed to be with Lucy. That as the mother it was far more important for me to be there for her… as a newborn. Just for a little while, he said." Buffy looked at him sadly, as she folded her arms across her chest, "… I believed him. Then two months turned into three years... I lost my voice."

Angel stayed silent. He could see her beginning to unravel, despite only knowing her for a short while, Angel knew she didn't open herself up easily. For a month he's tried to carefully steer the conversation in this direction. He felt an eagerness to know her—really know her, which included letting him understand her deepest regrets and untampered vulnerability.

"I never thought about children before. It was never a big dream for me... When Lucy came... I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have help. No one told me what to expect. I have nothing to go back to—Nothing to look forward to… God, I must sound like an ungrateful selfish person." She let out a sarcastic laugh, "Here I am complaining when I know there are thousands of women who would kill to have the life I have; living in a great house, in a great neighbourhood, with my great husband and a child—and I love my little girl, I do. I love her so much. But being just a mother... it's not enough."

Buffy paused feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders as she admitted this for the first time out loud. Her throat clasp with emotion, "What's wrong with me?" Her bright green eyes dulled as they fogged with unshed tears, "This isn't me. This empty shell of unhappiness... it can't be me, right?" She felt an overwhelming shame for not being happier with the idyllic life she's been living. "I miss being _me_."

She stepped into his knees and cupped her hands around his neck. "This summer with you—being with you has been the closest thing I've had to happiness. You're the thing I look forward to, Angel."

Placing his hands on her hips then slid them around her back, Angel brought her closer. "Even if we don't last past the summer, Buffy, you need to find yourself again. You need to make yourself happy. You deserve it and Lucy deserve a mother who's happy."

She looked at him with haunted and serious eyes letting his words sink in.

 **Present-day**

 **Angel's House**

 **Master Bedroom**

Angel knew there was so much more she wasn't telling him, not wanting to fracture their bubble more than it already has, Angel accepted her secrecy, knowing that she'll back away into a corner if he kept pressuring.

He also knew if he were in Riley's place, he'd _never_ put Buffy in that position of guilting her to sacrifice her career for family. He loved that she was so successful in her work and that she loved her job. But he couldn't help but wonder why she so easily gave it up. Did she love Riley that much that she just went with everything he said?

Just thinking about her and his heart ached, missing her so much.

They've been at this affair for a little more than three months now and it was growing impossible to be separated from her. Now that Riley was back home on a more regular basis, Buffy's time had been limited. Her _husband_ wanted her undivided attention and Angel had no choice but to comply and stay in the background in hopes she'll come to the playground in the following afternoons.

"You seem distracted."

Darla's nasally voice tore Angel from his thoughts of the other woman in his life.

Angel swallowed and looked at her as her fingers combed through his hair. Buffy does a similar gesture—combing her fingers mindlessly through his dark hair but her touch was gentler, more sincere though it was thoughtless action like an old habit.

"Busy at work." He lied.

"You've been cutting back your hours. Is that smart?"

Angel looked at her with impatience she didn't deserve, "No one can stop me. I run the place."

"But still—"

"—Someone needs to be there for our son." His words were crisp. It wasn't Darla—or it _was_ Darla and it was only because she wasn't the woman he truly wanted. "I'm sorry." He told her. "I'm just tired."

Darla nodded easily forgiving him for his unprovoked harshness. She looked at him with a small smile and her hand went to his crotch. Rubbing her hand over his length, Darla's hand slipped under the bedsheet and grasped his hardening cock. "Maybe I can relax you." She shifted forward, removing the bedsheet covering him and lowered her mouth to suck him.

Angel tilted his head back against the bed backboard and closed his eyes imagining the beautiful face of the golden-haired mother from the playground that he was infatuated with.

 **Days Later**

 **Afternoon**

 **Playground**

Once again, Angel had arrived with Steven to the playground and there was no sight of Buffy and Lucy.

Feeling a mixture of misery and frustration for the situation, Angel kept to himself knowing Buffy's friends, Willow and Anya whispered about him across the way. They were easy to ignore.

He kept his attention firmly on his hand that pushed the swing.

"Hey,"

Angel's eyes shot up to see Buffy standing beside him holding Lucy's hand.

"Out!" Steven said, holding his arms out to be picked up.

Helping his son out of the swing seat and placed him carefully on the ground, Lucy took Steven's hand and headed straight for the metal pony across the playground.

"I'm sorry I've been a little… MIA lately."

Angel shrugged, "I get it."

She frowned immediately noticing his distance. "Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

Buffy shrugged, "I don't know, you just seem mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Okay," Buffy decided to let it go, though she knew there was something bothering him and she also knew it had to do with Riley. It bothered her too. Just thinking of Angel and his wife, made her seething with jealousy.

He knew in this public setting, they had to keep it quiet and calm. In public, they weren't lovers but platonic friends.

"What are we doing here, Buf?"

Buffy's brows pinched together, "We're having a passive aggressive conversation?"

"No, I mean, what are _we_ doing?" Angel frowned.

She looked at him with a sense of disbelief at his audacity. "What do you mean what are we doing? You know _exactly_ what we've been doing."

"And that is?"

"Betraying the people we love." Her stomach churned as soon as the words left her mouth. Her heart shattered at the thought of Angel loving someone else. But he did love someone else. He was married to her. Buffy had zero claims to his heart. "Don't tell me you've finally grown a conscience?"

Angel felt the brutality of her words. She questioned what they had begun after their first time together. But he had convinced her, without many words that they needed to be together because otherwise, the desire would tear them apart. Even now, they were lovers the desire was _still_ tearing them apart. The hunger to have each other in every way possible boiled just below the surface.

"Do you wanna stop?" Buffy asked, desperate to keep her own brimming emotions from flooding her eyes. Even if they couldn't be lovers anymore, she couldn't bear to have him out of her life. She needed him. He was the only thing keeping her sane.

Angel shook his head, "No." His fingers twitched at his side wanting to reach out and touch her but the eyes on him was a reminder that they were in public.

"Do you and Steven want to come over for lunch?"

Swallowing, Angel silently nodded his head.

 **Buffy's House**

 **Kitchen**

Keeping her boxed in his arms and pinned between the counter island and his body, Angel pounded his cock into her from behind. The half-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the children were long forgotten as they brazenly made love, which reached new heights of abandonment and passion.

He pushed back her long golden hair from her shoulder and devoured her neck with hot, wet open kisses.

The sounds of their children's laughter could be heard outside as they ran through the sprinkler in the backyard.

Buffy reached her hand back, cupping the back of his head and swallowed his grunts with her mouth over his.

His hand that held himself up on the edge of the counter went to cup her breast. He gave it a squeeze then snuck his hand up her shirt, desperate to feel her scorching skin.

It was the first time they ever dared to make love while their children were not napping. And they were outside the private safe haven of the study. Outside the study, Buffy's home reeked of her husband.

Angel felt an animalistic possession over her as they carried on with their wild sex in an area Riley would sure enter into. Just knowing that Buffy's husband occupied the space even after Angel's departure for the afternoon, his scent from their passion would be all over the place and that thought exhilarated him.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Friday  
**

 **Late Afternoon**

 **Buffy's Study**

"I hate the weekends," Buffy said laying on her side and rested her head on her arm.

Facing her on his side, Angel smirked and fixed the collar of his shirt that she wore. "Why's that?"

Buffy touched his forearm and said, "I hate being away from you." She lifted her eyes to his.

"It's only two days then we'll be together again." He took her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss her fingertips.

Glancing over her shoulder to the clock on the writing desk, Buffy closed her eyes hating this part of the day. "You have to go soon."

"Are you expecting your... husband early?"

She looked at him as a silent reply.

"Okay," he said not wanting to talk any more about it.

He had a plan for the weekend, Darla was coming back to California on Sunday and that's when he'll do it. Angel planned on giving her the divorce papers. He wanted out—whether Buffy would take him or not, he needed to get out of his loveless marriage.

Tucking a piece of her golden hair behind her ear, Angel leaned over and captured her mouth in a small kiss that quickly deepened into something much more passionate.

Buffy didn't know if the strain she felt in her chest was real or not, but there was a distance between them. She didn't know what it was. There was something between them that felt it was forcing them apart. She hated it. She wanted him so much. And there was so much still left unsaid.

For some time, Buffy knew this love affair was more than just an act of two willing adults falling in the throes of passion. She was in love with him. He understood her—better than Riley. Angel never pressured her or asked too much of her—though she knew he wasn't exactly in the position to ask anything of her.

Being with him, whether its making love or watching their children at play—whatever the day brought, it felt good.

* * *

Not ready to let him out of the study just yet, Buffy took him by surprise by rolling him onto his back. She straddled his hips and reached a hand between them, wrapping a hand around his erection.

Angel opened his eyes and watched the flames in her eyes. He loved when she got like this, desperate with need. If it weren't for the late afternoon hour, the threat of her husband arriving home soon, or the fact, he could hear the children playing in the living room, Angel would never move from this spot. He'd never stop making love to the woman of his dreams.

He didn't try to change the pace of her rolling hips. His hands went to her hips then trailed up her sides then over the mounds of her breasts. For a moment he forgot how much he liked her wearing his clothing that swallowed her thin body, but because he wanted to touch her skin that was hidden underneath, Angel struggled to find an opening to the shirt.

Buffy must've read his mind because she began to unfasten the shirt buttons. Angel sat up, holding his arms around her from under the open shirt.

Buffy's arms twined around his neck, keeping him close as she hastened the pace of her hips.

Soon their heated breaths hit their faces and hitched in their throats. Angel's fingers threaded into her long hair and lowered her mouth over his.

He felt his climax swiftly approaching.

His hand lowered and manipulated her centre, wanting to her follow his release of blissful passion.

Pulling her hair from her neck, Angel's mouth taunted her skin in the way that made her wild.

Her moans were getting louder as her orgasm edged over the cliff.

Angel caught her mouth, swallowing her cries in a searing kiss. The last thing that was needed was for their children to become curious.

Buffy's fingers combed through his dark hair as she caught her breath.

They shared a few kisses and touched their foreheads together, wanting to prolong their time together just a minute longer.

 **Saturday**

 **Afternoon**

 **Buffy's House**

 **Backyard**

The sun was high in the sky as Buffy watched her husband and daughter play with dolls on the grass in the backyard.

Buffy sat on the deck with a glass of wine in hand and an open-magazine in her lap.

Weekends were difficult for Buffy, it was a forty-eight-hour prison where she was forced to play her role as the dutiful housewife and the loving mother to their daughter, who had recently learned the word, 'no'.

Riley was present but to only play with the girl. The task of keeping the three-year-old on her routine and giving her discipline was still left on Buffy.

As usual, her mind went to Angel, wondering what he was doing. She wondered if he was with his wife having passionate sex that would reclaim his undying love for her. She wondered if Angel's wife worked side by side with Angel as a parent. Buffy felt disgusted at the thought, feeling more alone than ever before.

Buffy looked down at the white wine in her hand and let her mind carry off into fantasies of a future, which was different from the life she was living now—though it was primarily the same, except instead of Riley, she was with Angel. It was a future without obstacles, in which she and Angel were free to love each other in broad daylight and all of the mistakes of the past were erased. They had no one to answer to but each other. They'd raise their children together and live in bliss. They would be free.

Her frustration with this reality, which was partly a self-inflicted entrapment had become unbearable. She couldn't breathe. Even if she couldn't have Angel, Buffy needed out. She needed to be _herself_ again. Angel was right, Lucy deserves better.

Lowering her eyes to her lap, inside the magazine was printed emails of acceptance from the most prestigious art galleries in Los Angeles; her former employer where Buffy was gaining a reputable reputation, _Levinson & the Trio Gallery_ _, L.A. Louver,_ and _1003 Art Gallery & Lounge. _She had kept her connections with the Art District and the Venice art community and in turn, they wanted her back.

 **Monday**

 **Afternoon**

 **Playground**

Together at their usual spot on the bench in the early hours of the afternoon, before Willow or Anya or any other mother and child-occupied the playground, Buffy and Angel sat together.

Their eyes were on each other warily, as if something had changed in the last two days separated.

"You okay?" Angel asked, watching her carefully.

Buffy nodded, eyeing him with the same suspicion, "Yeah, fine. You?"

"Me?" Angel looked at her with surprise, unsure if he had given her the impression that he was upset about something. "Um, fine… How was your weekend?"

"You really wanna know?" Buffy looked at him, watching his short nod, "It sucked. There isn't enough suck-age to describe its suck. Yours?"

Despite the clear frustration in her voice, Angel couldn't help but smirk at her. He loved her roundabout ways of splicing words together. "Terrible."

Buffy looked at him with surprise, "Really?"

Angel nodded, "I could only think of you."

Trying hard to appear empathetic, a jolt of excitement awoke her body. "I missed you."

Reaching for her hand, Angel gave it a small squeeze, "I missed you, too."

Her fingers laced through his, "This whole thing... what we're doing... it's getting so hard. Saying goodbye to you... and Steven its so hard now."

"Yeah, it is." He looked deeply into her eyes. There was so much that he wanted to tell her—to _really_ tell her. There was so much that he wanted to do to prove that his affections were honest. Angel didn't have a clue how she'd take it but she had to know, "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

Buffy felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. "Oh," she removed her hand from his and crossed her legs, at a poor attempt at emotionally closing herself off.

Realising how he must've sounded, Angel faced her and shook his head as he reached for her hand again, "That's not what I meant."

"Oh?" She frowned with a bit of confusion, "Then what did you mean?"

"I don't think I can carry on with this… affair."

Buffy frowned, "That doesn't sound any different than from the first thing you've said—"

"—Buffy," he softly smiled, holding her hand, "let me finish." He told her gently.

Buffy remained quiet.

"What I'm trying to say—but obviously I'm failing is that I can't just have an affair with you anymore. I want you, Buffy."

Unable to believe what he was saying, Buffy felt her throat clamp with emotion.

"Being apart from you is… unbearable." He swallowed, "What you've said before, I get it. For the first time—in I don't know how long but I finally have something to look forward to." He looked down at her their conjoined hands, "Just seeing you or talking to you or making love to you… has brought me so much happiness I never thought I'd have." Angel looked at her, hoping she could see the honesty in his eyes.

"I told myself, no matter what, I wouldn't pressure you or try to confuse you... I wouldn't stop you from your decisions." He knew they were in public when he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. "I wouldn't change you. I wouldn't convince you that you could only have one thing or the other when you can have it all. I'd be right behind you. I'd love Lucy as if she was my own."

"What are you saying?" She asked with disbelief, needing to hear him say the words plainly.

Overwhelmed with emotions, it was as if she was dreaming one of her fantasy dreams, but the hot string of tears slipping down her cheeks made her realise that this was real. This was actually happening. Angel was proclaiming his love for her and his desire to be with her.

"Buffy, I…" he trailed off noticing a sudden change in her.

Her eyes shifted from his to the person standing at the playground gate.

Angel removed his hand from hers and looked back over his shoulder, following her gaze.

Quickly wiping her tears away and covering her redden eyes with black sunglasses just as the person at the gate approached them.

"I thought I'd catch you here," Riley said with a large grin. He bent down and kissed Buffy's mouth. Her surprise left her unresponsive to the kiss.

Angel sat back on the bench and watched the interaction. His stomach churned with disgust, jealousy, and disappointment. He never got the chance to tell her that he was completely in love with her or during the weekend, he served Darla divorce papers as soon as she came back from New York City with her lover-client.

Darla hadn't appeared surprised by the bombshell. Angel thought he saw relief in her blue eyes.

Pulling out of the kiss, Buffy looked at her husband with genuine surprise. Though she wore dark lensed sunglasses, Angel could see her panic.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Monday**

 **Afternoon**

 **Playground**

"Riley, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, still reeling from surprise.

Riley never came to the playground, he was always at work at this time.

"I took the day off 'cause I wanted to be with my girls." Riley squeezed her hand and looked around the playground for his three-year-old.

Angel scowled at Riley's brazen use of calling Buffy and Lucy, 'his girls', though it was a factual statement.

"Oh," Buffy glanced at Angel then looked at Riley. "Um, good," was all that she could say as her mind spun.

Riley gave her a tugging smile when he noticed Angel beside his wife. He also noticed just how close the dark haired man was sitting beside _his_ wife.

Masking his instant dislike for the good-looking man, Riley kept his smile and held out his hand, "Riley Finn, Buffy's _husband_ ,"

Angel tossed his eyes between his lover and her husband and accepted the firm handshake. He opened his mouth to respond when Buffy jumped in, "This is Angel O'Connor. He's Steven's father."

Riley slowly nodded, "Lucy's friend." He quickly pieced together.

Angel silently nodded, never trying to be overly polite as Riley.

"I gotta say, I thought I'd have some time before I worried about my daughter having a boyfriend." Riley cheekily said with a widening grin, amusing himself.

Buffy gave him a phoney laugh and Angel remained serious.

After receiving a glaring look from Buffy, Angel forced himself to cock a thin smirk. Buffy narrowed her eyes over him, there was something dangerous and disjointed about the way Angel smirked at Riley. His dark eyes glared murderous daggers into the military man. Buffy didn't know whether she was frightened or turned on by the menacing expression.

"That's very funny. Buffy," Angel shifted his ominous glare to her, "you didn't tell me your _husband_ was a funny guy."

She felt the sting of his passive-aggressive comment. In the back of her head, Buffy knew that this day would eventually one day come. Either she was going to meet Darla or Angel would meet Riley. She always thought she wanted Angel to meet Riley, knowing that she would have a difficult time containing her jealousy but it seemed Angel was not fairing any better.

He was usually so even-tempered that seeing the raging jealousy in his glaring dark brown eyes took Buffy by surprise.

Buffy wasn't sure when the shift occurred, not even three minutes ago they were so close to expressing their undying love and now, they glared at each other with angry fury.

Pursing her lips together, annoyed at her lover's temperament, Buffy said rather snidely, "His sense of humour is hard to describe… You just have to _meet_ him and take it all in."

As per-usual, Riley appeared oblivious to the obvious. The friction between the pair was like a majestic car accident, where you just can't look away or Riley was a master of blocking out what was in front of his face? If he really looked at what was in front of him, he'd be confronted with years of Buffy's unhappiness that had been partly his fault.

"I got burgers for the barbecue then I thought _we'd…_ " Riley crouched down in front of Buffy and placed his hands on her thighs, "… grill up some lunch put Lucy down for a nap then…" he pecked her lips, "… me and you have some… _alone_ time." He inched closer to her face.

Buffy felt Angel's tension though he kept his glaring eyes straight across the playground on the children at play.

Wanting to get out of Riley's arms, Buffy shifted, "That's an idea." She told him but more than anything she wanted to say, no, no, no!

"Great!" Riley kissed her mouth again and stood tall from his crouching position. "Now, where's Lucy…" he turned away from the bench looking out to the playground where he saw his daughter and her little friend playing by the slide.

Wandering over to the children, Riley left Buffy and Angel on the bench. They seemed more apart than ever, sitting on either end of the bench—completely separated.

"So, that was Riley," Angel said, breaking the thick silence between them.

"Yeah, that was… Riley." Buffy looked down at her hands.

Angel swallowed his anger, "He's tall."

Buffy looked at him with a questioning gaze. Of all the things he could've said about her husband, _that_ was the thing he decided to go with.

"I'm leaving him, Angel."

He looked at her with disbelieving ears. "What?"

"I'm leaving him," she repeated. "You were right… about all of it. I got a phone call yesterday from _Levinson & the Trio Gallery—_which is a pretty great art gallery in the Downtown Art District. They want me back." She told him. "And I accepted."

Angel wanted to smile with happiness that she was finally putting herself first. She was finally doing something that would give her happiness, which would make her a better mother for her daughter.

Without thought, he reached over and took her hand, "And Riley doesn't know?" He asked.

Buffy shook her head with a shrug, "He'll have a fit but… it won't matter…" she sat back on the bench and looked at him with a faint smile, "You know any good divorce lawyers?"

Angel nodded unsure how to feel about all of this. It was exactly what he wanted; Buffy to get her career back, leave her husband, but would she still want him? Or would she want to be alone to regain _herself_ once more and figure out how to balance being a single parent with a career?

"I don't know where I would fit in your life, Buffy. But I meant what I said before, I can't be—I don't _want_ to be your secret anymore. I want to be with you. But I won't pressure you or beg you. I'll wait for you if that's what you need... I just want you to know… I love you." Buffy could hear her heart pounding in her ears. "I think you're the first person—excluding my son that I ever loved—really loved. But whatever happens next… it's your decision."

Forgetting herself and the public setting she was in, Buffy lifted her hand and held it against Angel's cheek. She softly smiled at him and caressed his cheekbone with the pad of her thumb, "I love you, too—So much…"

From across the playground, Riley stood from the bottom of the slide with a grin across his face as he watched Lucy jump off of the slide and run back around for another ride.

He turned back to Buffy, hoping she was watching the father-daughter interaction. They often argued that he was not as interactive with the three-year-old as he ought to be and he was honestly trying to do better but his excuses that Buffy was better at 'parenting' was wearing very thin on his wife.

The sight his blue eyes caught was an image he didn't see coming at all.

Sitting closely together, Buffy held her hand against Angel's cheek. They appeared to be in the middle of an intimate conversation.

Riley watched as Buffy dropped her hand from Angel's cheek and place it back into her lap. They shared a quiet smile.

All of the red flags shot up around the two parents on the bench. Riley felt his smile drop into a deep frown, now only thinking the worst.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Yesterday-Sunday**

 **Evening**

 **Willow's House**

After receiving an urgent phone call from her best friend, Buffy found herself standing outside Willow's front door eager to know what was so dire that she raced across town.

She waited patiently on the front porch for the front door to open.

The door opened and Willow reached out grabbing Buffy by the wrist and pulled her inside. The redhead dragged her friend from the foyer and into the living room where Tara, Willow's wife sat on the floor having a tea party with Ava.

Buffy frowned waiting for someone to say something when Willow picked up the telephone and shoved it into Buffy's hands.

Buffy frowned and held the phone to her ear, "Hel—Hello?" She rolled her eyes at her own nervous stutter. "Jonathan… Thank you for the call—" her green eyes shot up to Willow's face, the look of surprise was impossible to mask.

Willow eagerly waited to hear about the conversation but knew it was good by Buffy's expression. She looked down at Tara and manically grinned before looking back at Buffy.

"—You have?—I am?" Buffy's heart raced. "You do?" A small smile tugged at Buffy's mouth, "Y—yes, that is a fair amount."

Biting her nails with nervous anticipation, Willow felt overly excited.

"Yes, next Monday is perfect—I'll see you then. Thank you, Jonathan." Buffy hung up the phone and paused, releasing a heavy breath and letting her emotions even out.

"Oh c'mon!—What happened?" Willow begged.

Buffy looked at Willow and said, " _Levinson & the Trio Gallery _want me back. They said that they've missed me. That I was the best art dealer they've had since and they'd take me back in a heartbeat. And they're paying triple of what I was making before."

"Which was a lot—Buffy, I'm so happy for you!" Willow reached out and hugged her old friend. "They didn't wonder why they were calling on this phone and not your own?"

"They wouldn't've known anyway. Thanks for taking the call, Riley would've…" Buffy trailed off as reality set in.

Willow frowned, "Oh, yeah, Riley. What is he going to say about all of this? He wasn't exactly _wild_ at the idea of you continuing on after Lucy was born and…" the redhead noticed the far-off look set in Buffy's green eyes. Willow knew that look. There was something going on with Buffy. Willow knew for months there has been something off or different with her friend but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Buffy's mind was configuring something out and Willow was desperate to know what it was.

Looking back to Tara for answers, Tara simply shrugged and glanced over at their daughter with a kind smile then looked back at Willow with concerned eyes.

Buffy snapped from her stupor and shifted her gaze from the nothingness she stared into to Willow. "I'm leaving Riley." She said.

"Wha—What?"

Buffy nodded, "I'm leaving Riley. I want a divorce."

Tara got up from the floor, "C'mon on, little girl, time for a bath and then bed." She took Ava's hand and walked out of the room to leave Buffy and Willow in private.

"I mean, okay… But Buffy, are you sure this is what you want? I'm sure Riley would come around if you give him time—"

"—No more time," Buffy's voice was direct and certain. "I haven't been happy for a long time—too long. This is what I want."

Willow tilted her head slightly to the side, trying to understand Buffy's motives. "Is there more?" Willow asked, keeping her tone un-judgmental.

Willow had always liked Riley. She encouraged Buffy to dive into a relationship with him, but, Willow didn't think they'd get married. She knew Buffy was in love with him, but she was also in love with Parker Abrams; her serious boyfriend throughout college. Willow was convinced they would tie the knot, but Parker had other plans, which had involved other women.

After the surprise pregnancy announcement, Buffy and Riley jumped straight into marriage. Riley was following the proper tradition and Buffy was following her heart, which hadn't caught up to her brain just yet.

Towards the last months of the pregnancy, Buffy was coming to her senses and realised, this isn't what she wanted—Forever with Riley, isn't what she wanted.

* * *

Buffy stared at her friend, unable to reply, wanting nothing more than to say, yes. There was so much more. She was completely in love with someone else.

"Is it Angel?"

Feeling her heart drop to her stomach, Buffy couldn't hide her shock.

By Buffy's look of surprise, Willow knew she hit the nail on the head with her assessment. "You guys are good… at hiding, whatever is going on. But I know you better than anyone, Buffy—I mean, we've been best friends since the 10th Grade… and I'm not as lost in fantasy-sex-land as Anya." Willow tried a small teasing smile.

"How?"

"The way he looks at you… The way you look at him… When you guys think no one is watching, you two look at each other with… love. I've never seen you look at Riley that way—even when you were happiest. What's been going on with you and Angel?" Willow frowned, "Do you have feelings for him?"

Buffy was silent for a long time, unsure if she should reveal the entire truth to her old friend and perhaps shatter every good thought Willow has ever had of her or lie and wallow in fear of losing her best friend.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Buffy lowered her gaze from her friend.

"What is it? You can tell me, Buffy." Willow softly encouraged.

"We've been sleeping together… for months." Buffy couldn't look up at her friend after hearing her slight gasp. "I knew it was wrong. I knew Riley didn't deserve it but… I couldn't stop—I can't stop." Buffy lifted her eyes to Willow. "And then somewhere between all of it… I fell in love with him. I've never felt like this before, Wills… When we're together, I feel content, good… loved. He's the one who encouraged me to reach out to art galleries again."

"Does he love you?"

Buffy paused and shrugged, "I don't know—I think so. We've never said it."

"Will you tell Riley?"

"Maybe… I don't know."

Willow grew quiet for a minute then asked, "What happens if you tell Riley, divorce Riley, and Angel ends up not feeling the same way as you feel for him? That everything between you two was simply sex for him… What then?"

Buffy shrugged, "This isn't completely about Angel. I need to do this, Will, whether Angel stays in the picture or not. My daughter deserves to see her mother happy and doing something for herself, otherwise, what sort of example am I setting for her?—To stay in an unhappy marriage to only follow in my footsteps of having an affair? I don't want my little girl to feel that guilt— _Ever_. Nor do I want to her make life-changing decisions based on a man or how she feels about him—though he might not feel the same. Or feel caught in the middle because of a mistake and do something she shouldn't've entered into in the first place." Buffy took a moment's pause then said, "But if she did do all of that… then I don't want her to feel suffocated and think that she doesn't have a way out."

For the first time, Willow felt like she got a glimpse into Buffy's psyche; and it was sad and gasping for air. "I had no idea that you felt like this."

Not wanting her only ally to feel guilty for not knowing, Buffy's expression softened. "I didn't want anyone to see. I'm supposed to be the girl who has everything. It doesn't look good if I'm unhappy with 'everything.'"

Willow laid a hand on Buffy's shoulder, giving her the support a best friend could only give.

 **Present-Day**

 **Buffy's House**

 **Kitchen**

Standing at the entryway of the kitchen, Buffy didn't know what going to happen after she's told Riley everything. She had no idea if Angel would be on the other end of this tunnel she's been lost in. As she watched as Riley prepared the frozen burgers on a plate as Lucy ran outside to play on the swing-set before lunchtime, Buffy knew it needed to be done.

She needed to rid of the guilt weighing on her shoulders and clamping around her heart.

The suffocating feeling clenched at Buffy's throat again.

"Riley," she softly said his name, trying to find her voice.

Turning from the refrigerator to the counter island to place hamburger buns on a separate plate and he seemed blissfully unaware of Buffy's inner turmoil.

"I'm gonna try something a little different with these burgers, I think you're gonna like…" he said, having a terrible feeling suddenly. Riley noticed Buffy's increasing distance during the walk home. He had felt her emotional distance for a long while now. He didn't bring up what he had saw at the playground between his wife and the off-putting man, Riley instantly disliked.

To mask his discomfort, he rambled on, blatantly ignoring his wife.

"Riley," Buffy said his name softly once more.

Keeping to the status quo, Riley continued to ignore the looming dread casting over him and prepared lunch. "I know what you're thinking… You hate when I try new things with the food you already like, but I'm telling you, Buf, you're gonna _love_ this." He grinned. "Those guys in Texas, man, they really know how to cook up a mean burger."

"Riley, I want a divorce."

The clanks of Riley setting a spatula and knife down on the counter vibrated around the room.

The silence was thick and filled with uncut tension as they stared at each other from across the kitchen.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Buffy's House**

 **Kitchen**

Riley lowered his eyes and continued to prepare the barbecue lunch he's been looking forward to for most of the day.

Pinching her brows together, Buffy watched him, "Riley—"

He held up his hand, "—We're not talking about this now." Riley swallowed, " _Now,_ we're going to have lunch and then we're going to—"

Buffy knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to forget all about this and continue on as if nothing happened—as if his wife hadn't just said that she wanted a divorce. Buffy refused to be gaslighted again, "—We can't ignore this… Not anymore."

"What do you want from me?" He looked at her with harden blue eyes.

"I just told you." Buffy kept her voice gentle and even.

"No," he said.

Buffy frowned, "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, _no_. We're married. We have a child, who needs her parents—"

"—That's true, Lucy does need her parent _s._ Not just her mother to do _everything_. She also doesn't need an unhappy mother—if I'm the only parent she has."

Riley dropped the spatula on the counter and glared at his wife, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, I feel like I'm the only parent in this household. I feed her, bathe her, put her to bed, wake her up, buy her everything she needs or wants, I play with her, discipline her, pick her up when she falls, where are you? Even when you're here… I'm still the only parent."

"I'm here right now!"

"You're her playmate! I know you have this backward, 1950s theory that, 'Mommy knows best' but a surprise for you, I don't! I don't know what the hell I am doing _most_ of the time! From the day she was born, it was thrown onto me to raise her… and that's all I do—It's all I am now."

"What's this about, Buffy?" Riley held his hands on his hips.

Buffy frowned, "What?"

"I mean, what is this _really_ about? You keep me at a distance, Buffy, you've been doing it for years. Let me in. What's going on?"

Releasing a deep breath, Buffy said, "I'm going back to _Levinson & the Trio Gallery._"

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Riley glared at her.

"I'm telling you now."

Riley shook his head, "But Lucy…"

"… Will be fine. She's not the first or the last child to have two working parents that are separated. She's going to preschool this year and—"

"—What if you work late?" Riley asked moving around the counter island towards her.

"Then I call a babysitter."

"What about dinner?"

"Then the babysitter gives her dinner or do whatever else she needs."

He thought for a moment then asked, "Are you going to live here or LA?—Buffy, this is ridiculous. We're not separating."

Buffy took a deep breath, determined not to lose her patience, "Riley,"

Riley asked, staring straight into her eyes, "Are you giving me an ultimatum?—Let you have a job or divorce?"

Buffy shook her head, "No, there's no ultimatum. I'm telling you what I want."

Riley's jaw clenched unable to shake the feeling that there was something more going on, far worse than he could ever predict. "What's going on with you and that guy at the playground?—Steven's father."

Taken back by his sudden change of interrogating questions, Buffy was taken off guard, "I—I don't know what you're—" she stuttered.

"—You know what I'm talking about. I saw you. You two looked… intimate. What have you've been doing, Buffy?" His anger rose in his blue eyes.

Buffy did not reply.

Riley moved towards her, his tall height towered over her. "Tell me." He demanded. "The truth, Buffy. _Now_."

Buffy hardened, she lifted her eyes to his face and said, "I've been having an affair." She tried to keep the tremble out of her voice, hating the guilt she felt for the shocked hurt in his eyes.

He felt his lungs deflate. "For… how long?" Riley's mind spun, barely able to get the words out.

Buffy looked away from him.

When she didn't reply right away, Riley looked at her and felt an uncontrollable anger. " _For how long_?" His words were crisp and direct.

After another minute of her hesitancy, Riley realised, "It's not over." He felt his heart snap.

Buffy avoided any eye contact with him.

"Why?" Riley asked.

Swallowing her guilt, "He makes me happy." She told him truthfully.

Hearing her say the words, someone else made her happy… another man was the most brutal thing he's ever heard.

Riley just knew it was that off-putting man at the playground earlier today. Buffy had never confirmed it but Riley knew… The way they were talking and the closeness of their bodies—She was having sex with another man. _His_ Buffy was having sex with another man, Riley wanted to vomit. "Are you in love with him?"

"It doesn't matter." She hated herself for causing his heartbreak.

"Yes, it does. Are you in love with him?" Anger boiled in his chest for her lack of reply. " _Are you in love with_ —"

"—Yes," she finally admitted.

Riley wanted to fall to his knees, "And I don't… make you feel that way?"

The hurt in his voice pained Buffy, "You deserve so much better, Riley. Better than me."

"There's no one better than you." He looked at her, still madly in love.

Buffy gave him a faint smile, "There is—There are." She held his cheek in her hand and said, "You deserve a woman who loves you to no end, who would never do this to you… Who loves being your wife. It's not me." She told him gently. "I am so sorry that I couldn't be that woman."

Taking a deep breath, Riley glared at his estranged wife. "I'm so mad at you. I really want to hate you," He told her. "But I can't," Riley felt a mixture of betrayal and utter love. "I love you so much, Buffy," he leaned into her touch.

"I know," she hated the hurt she was causing him. "But I'm not the one."

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	12. Chapter 12

**2 Hours Later  
**

 **Late Afternoon**

 **Playground**

He had never felt heartbreak before, Angel realised.

No one had ever made him feel this pain. For good reason, Angel felt like this was the end of his love affair with the woman he's madly in love with. There was something in her eyes that made him need to accept the heartache that will happen next.

She told him that she loved him. Angel heard her say it and he believes her. There was something that in her beautiful green eyes that haunted his mind as he reimagined her face in his head. There was a look of sadness and regret. Angel needed to prepare himself.

Opening his eyes, Angel gaze landed on Steven playing alone at the sandbox. Despite the playground filled with children, he still kept to himself unless his only friend arrived.

Angel was curious, what if Lucy never came back to the playground? What if Riley—or worse, Buffy kept her away in order to keep away from him?

His mind went further in his fearful pain wondering what if it would be the last time he ever saw Buffy? What if he'd never heard her voice whispering his name again? What if she chose Riley?

"Hey,"

Angel was ripped from his overwhelming thoughts of his heartbreak when he heard a familiar sweet breathless voice.

He turned his eyes from his son to Buffy.

The surprise of her arrival and without Lucy was evident on his face. "Buffy," was all he managed to say.

Buffy sat down beside him and held her hands in her lap.

The last two hours, Buffy had tried to absorb everything that has happened. Three lives irreparably changed and none of it was resolved. Buffy had to figure out the next step. What did she want?

"I told Riley," she broke the thick silence. Her eyes lifted to his and said, "I told him everything."

He didn't need to ask what she had meant by 'everything,' "Oh." Angel wanted to slap himself.

"We're getting divorced. He was pretty angry and hurt… He, um, took Lucy to the toy store. She doesn't know yet."

Angel nodded his head, keeping his silence.

He waited for her to continue but when she didn't, Angel stepped in and said, "Keeping this secret was killing us." He said. "I know you didn't want to hurt Riley—"

"—I think Riley was destined to be hurt the first time we slept together."

Angel agreed and swallowed nervously, "What now?"

A thick silence stilled between them.

"I love you," she told him.

Opening his eyes wide, Angel looked at her desperate to hear her say those three words over and over again.

"I've been completely in love with you for months." She placed her hand over his and let him tug her hand to pull her closer to him on the bench. Buffy watched his long fingers dance around hers and felt her entire body relax by his touch. "I've been thinking a lot about this—About what I want."

Angel wanted her to finish before he responded.

Buffy lifted her eyes to his handsome face and said, "And what I want is you, Angel. I want to be with you."

He felt his chest fill with hope but the look on her gorgeous face made his hope deflate. There was a look of sadness in her eyes and Angel knew whatever she would say next was not in his benefit.

"But," she continued, "I also need—and _want_ to find myself again. To be able to do this—Be a single working parent. I need to find that balance. I need to put myself and my daughter first."

"And that doesn't involve me." Angel felt his heartbreaking in half.

"It does…" Buffy held her hand against his cheek, "... just not yet."

He looked at her.

"I promised myself that I wasn't going to make the same mistakes as before—That I wasn't going to make another big mistake of a decision like I had with Riley. I want us—me and you to be the real thing. To be together forever and with no regrets. But in order for that to happen, I think I need some time... to adjust. To figure myself out before I give any more to you."

Angel agreed, though he hated it, he understood. "I'll wait for you. For as long as you need." He pushed a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear then let his index finger fall down the line of her jaw. "You have my entire heart, Buffy."

The feeling of his love washed over her.

Uncaring for the curious eyes around the playground watching them, Buffy ignored the whispers as she leaned in closer and rested for forehead against his. She whispered words of love to him as her fingers gently touched his lips.

For months Buffy and Angel were the talk of the playground between the suburban mothers. No one knew if they were having an affair, but many speculated in the fantasy that they might've been involved with each other. Angel was the gorgeous man all the mothers drooled over and Buffy was the fearless mother, who had befriended him.

It didn't take long for scandalous rumours to swirl.

As the suburban mothers watched the couple now, the shock of their fantasy coming to life was unexpected.

Sitting on the bench across the playground, watching the couple wide-eyed, Anya leaned over to Willow and asked, "Did you know about this?"

"Not a clue," Willow lied and raised a brow with a tugging smile wondering what would happen now to Buffy.

 **8 Months Later**

 **Spring**

 **Sunnydale, California  
**

 **Playground**

It was the first day of Spring and as promised, Angel brought Steven to the playground after Kindergarten and his day at work.

For the last eight months since his quick divorce from Darla and his undying proclamation of love to his mistress, Buffy, Angel spent these months focused on his son and trying to be the best father he possibly could be.

There wasn't a single day that he hadn't thought about Buffy. He often stared at her number in his cell phone, tempted to call, just to hear the sound of her voice, but as to her wishes, he left her be.

Angel had promised himself that he wouldn't pressure her or beg her or confuse her. He told himself to be patient and believe in their love.

But as the seasons changed, Angel kept a tight hold on his love for her, not letting 'time' doubt their feelings for one another. He held his word and waited.

* * *

Walking along the iron gate of the playground holding Steven's hand, he felt a tingling tug in his chest. It was a feeling only one person could give him.

"Daddy look!" Steven's squeaky voice turned Angel's attention from the tingling feeling to the playground. He followed Steven's little finger to the slide when he saw Lucy climbing up the ladder. "Lucy! Lucy! Hi!"

The dark blonde haired girl turned and looked around for the voice calling her name. Her eyes landed on Steven and waved her arm with a wild grin across her little face.

Like a lightning bolt, Steven took off into the playground excited to see his best friend again.

Angel's heart raced.

He swallowed with nervous anticipation as he entered the playground. He slowly tossed his dark eyes around the empty playground when his gaze landed on her.

Sitting at their bench was Buffy.

She looked more gorgeous than any of his memories of her.

He stood at the entrance of the gate catching his breath as his eyes fell over her. She wore black trousers and a thin, white long-sleeved sweater. Her golden blonde hair fell straight over her shoulders and down her back.

Slowly, she took off the dark sunglasses that covered her bright green eyes.

Angel moved past the slide, where the children laughed and played and straight to the woman who still had his heart held between her hands.

* * *

Standing face to face with one another for the first time in eight months.

Perhaps it was the fact she hadn't seen him in eight months, but Angel seemed more breathtakingly gorgeous than ever. His black long leather jacket, covering his broad shoulders, along with his matching black button-down shirt and pants seemed to heighten his dark features. Her heart sped up, trying to catch her breath.

"I knew you'd come here," Buffy said, breaking the suffocating silence. "At least, I hoped you would..."

"I didn't think you'd be here. Last I heard you moved to LA."

Buffy frowned, confused about how he knew.

"Willow told me." He replied to her unasked question.

Slowly nodding her head, Buffy held her arms around herself and shrugged, "For a little while I did. After Riley and I finalised the divorce, Lucy and I moved from LA back to Sunnydale. She loves it here." She paused for a moment then added, "We're living on Revello Drive now."

"That's a nice neighbourhood," he said, trying hard not to sound awkward but failed.

They stood in another painstaking silence when Buffy suddenly said, "I miss you."

"I miss you." He reached out and took her hand that was at her side. His eyes went down to her fingers, comforted by her touch.

"I thought…" she frowned, "… this distance that I said I wanted would a good thing. Honestly, it has been for the most part. I was able to focus on my job and on Lucy, but most of all _me_. I found the balance, but I keep teetering."

Angel felt his hope rise, "Are you missing something?"

"You," she told him quite plainly and without hesitation. "You're the thing I'm missing. I want you and I miss you so much. I am so in love with you, Angel…"

Taking a small step forward, Angel held his hands at her hips and drew her closer to him. "I'd wait forever for you. All I wanted was you."

Buffy swallowed and pressed her forehead against his, breathing him in. Her free hand cupped the back of his neck, then her fingers threaded into his dark hair.

Their lips slowly met.

For the first time in eight months, everything seemed to fall directly into place. Angel couldn't remember feeling so happy in his life, she was his perfect happiness. Even in the months of knowing Buffy loved him and knowing the high probability of meeting again, just like this, he'd never fully allowed himself to believe that this would happen.

Breaking the kiss for a moments breath, Angel wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

Circling her arms around his neck, Buffy shifted to the tips of her toes and pressed her front against his. They shared a smile, relieved to be in each other's arms again. Their mouths crushed together in a deep and sensual kiss.

It had been too long since they've last kissed and it felt good.

* * *

At the top of the slide, Lucy and Steven peered over the metal bar watching their parents kiss.

"Why is your daddy kissing my mommy?" Lucy squeaked.

Steven frowned with a shrug, "I dunno. Maybe they _like_ each othe-a."

"Will they get mawried?" Lucy asked.

Steven busted out into a fit of laughter, "You'd be my sister!"

"Rewlly?" Lucy's eye's brightened with the prospect of having a sibling that happened to be her best friend. "Well… I want my own roo-wom… but we can share the playroo-wom."

Thinking about it carefully, Steven turned his dark eyes to his friend and spit into the palm of his hand, "Deal."

Lucy gave him a toothy grin and spat into her hand and shook his hand.

* * *

Softly pulling from the kiss, Buffy combed her fingers through his hair and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you," he told her. Twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, Angel tucked it behind her ear, it was a gesture Buffy missed so much. "It's gonna be different now."

Buffy nodded in agreement and kissed his lips softly. "It will be. This is what we want."

"And you're wanted." His mouth curved into a tugging smile, "Trust me, you are _so_ wanted."

Buffy let out a tearful laugh and sniffled, holding him tighter. "We'll make this work."

"Forever. That's the whole point."

Angel unhooked her hand that was around his neck and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm. He lifted his gaze to her and watched her soft smile grow. She then closed the small space between their mouths and tenderly kissed his lips, feeling overwhelmed by his all-consuming love.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue Part 1**

 **6 Years Later**

 **Los Angeles, California**

 **314 Gallery**

Walking along the white painted wall with a clipboard in hand, Buffy eyed the painting that was on display carefully.

She paused in front of a large canvas painting and quickly jotted notes onto the sheet of paper on the clipboard.

After a moment, Buffy continued down the wall and quickly scribbled a few notes for the blank space on the wall that a piece of art would soon be displayed.

Finally, after four years since returning to work at _Levinson & the Trio Gallery, _Buffy opened her own art gallery not far away for her now competition.

 _314 Gallery_ was a hit amongst the contemporary and edgy art crowd, attracting names like Cecily Brown, Mark Bradford, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tschabalala Self, and most recently Faith Lehane.

Faith's popularity was growing across the country. To have her unique Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired art shown in every important gallery across the country was in high demand, but Faith chose Buffy's gallery.

They had met once before while Buffy was still working as an in-demand art dealer for _Levinson & the Trio Gallery. _Buffy had sold a piece of art that Faith had done for twenty-three million, which doubled Faith's asking price.

" _Buf-fee_ ," a whining voice instantly broke Buffy from her groove.

She turned to the voice calling her name behind her.

Cordelia Chase, a leggy dark-haired woman with modelesque features held her hand on her hip tossing her boss a knowing look. "You're really not supposed to be here."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "I can be at my _own_ gallery if I want since... well, you know, I own it and all…" Cordelia did not look convinced. Buffy released a heavy breath with an eye roll, "I just wanted to check on everything before the show—"

"—That's two weeks away… _Two weeks_ , that's how long you have left before you come back. So go." The art dealer shooed Buffy away from the art.

"But, I need to get these notes to Faith." Buffy held the clipboard in her hand.

Cordelia cocked a high manicured brow and took the clipboard from Buffy. She quickly scanned it over, "I'll get this out to her."

"No, I need you to go to New York and sell that Scherer sculpture." Buffy pinched the bridge of her nose, "Sell it for—"

"—Forty-eight, I know, Buffy. We've discussed this… many of times. My plane leaves tomorrow. And I totally used your flier miles and upgraded me to first class." She smiled.

Buffy let out a small laugh and shook her head.

The look of relaxation did not last. Buffy's face fell and panic set in her eyes.

Reading her mind, Cordelia held up the clipboard to Buffy and said, "I'll get this to Glory to send out ASAP. Go home." Cordelia began to push her boss out of the room and into another, much larger room.

Buffy let Cordelia guide her away from the artwork and everything that needed to be done in a short amount of time.

At the front desk, Glory turned her eyes from the compact mirror and took the clipboard of notes from Cordelia's hand. " _More_ notes?" Glory caught Cordelia's glare. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." Glory opened the scanner to make a copy of the notes before sending them to Faith.

Cordelia reached out and took the purse on a hood and placed it into Buffy's hands. Cordelia then grabbed the long coat from the coat-hook and placed it around Buffy's shoulders. "Time for you to go."

"But—"

"—No," Cordelia shook her head, "we've got it handled from here. Right Glory?" The dark haired woman's face fell with annoyance as she looked over to Glory, who was back to looking at herself in the compact mirror. " _Glory._ "

Glory's head shot up and looked between her boss and co-worker, she rolled her eyes and forced a smile across her beautiful face, "Yes, totally handled."

"See, when Glory's not staring at herself, she's super efficient. It's going to be okay, Buffy."

"But—"

"—Two weeks," Cordelia reminded.

"That's such a long ti—"

"— _Two weeks._ Go, I'll call you from New York." Cordelia opened the gallery's front door and practically shoved Buffy out onto the city sidewalk.

Releasing a heavy breath, Buffy knew Cordelia was right, she needed to relax. Two weeks would go by like a flash and then no one can stop her from being at the art gallery she owned and ran.

Pushing her hair from her face, Buffy took out her car keys and headed towards the parking garage across the street.

 **Sunnydale, California**

 **1630 Revello Drive**

 **O'Connor Residence**

Pulling into the driveway beside a black _1967 Plymouth GTX_ convertible, Buffy turned the key, shutting off the car engine.

She removed the sunglasses covering her eyes and grabbed her purse placed on the passenger's seat and got out of the _Jeep Cherokee._

Closing the driver's side door, Buffy walked the sidewalk pathway towards the Craftsmen-style home.

* * *

Entering the home, Buffy placed her keys in a bowl beside the door and shrugged off her coat, placing it on a hook along with her purse.

"Hello?" She called out to anyone in the home.

Moving across the foyer, Buffy glanced into the living room and smirked spotting her ten-year-old stepson sitting in front of the television with a video game control in his hands.

Stepping into the living room, Buffy picked up a few toys left on the floor and placed them back into the toy bin. She then stood behind the boy and crouched down pressing her lips against the side of his head.

"Ma…" the boy whined trying not to break his concentration. "I'm busy."

"Did you do your homework?" Buffy smirked feeling the tension in the boy's body. "Yeah, I thought so… Pause the game and go." Buffy said, standing up straight. "School comes first, then video games, you know that."

With childish annoyance, Steven paused the video game and got to his feet pouting at his stepmother. "I don't want to. School is _stupid_."

After Steven's father and Buffy married, it hadn't taken Steven very long to grow attached to his new stepmom. His mother, Darla became a sporadic presence in his life after the divorce. For months, he'd visit her in LA or she'd call him at least twice a week but then suddenly, the phone calls stopped, as well as the visits. Darla still continues to send Birthday and Holiday cards but angered by his mother's treatment, Steven ignores them.

He doesn't know that Buffy stashes the unopened cards away knowing that sometime in Steven's future, he might want to see them.

Hurt and confused, Steven needed someone to rely on and Buffy was there for him. She'd whisper words of love and repeatedly told him how much he was wanted in this family. Even if she didn't give birth to him, Buffy made sure he knew with all of her heart, she loved him, just like Lucy. It was then, Steven decided that Buffy was his _real_ mother, despite never coming from her belly. When people asked at school who his mother is, it is Buffy's name that he says.

"Steven, you need to go to school." She told him, as she watched him drag his feet to the dining room where his school books were.

" _Why_?" He glared at her as he sat down in the chair.

Buffy fought the smile tugging at her mouth and followed him. She took his little face into her hands and said, "Because it's my job to make sure that you don't grow up stupid. So we send you to school." She kissed his forehead then added, "And don't say stupid." Buffy ran her fingers through his shaggy dark hair. "So what's first?—Math?"

"I dunno know how to do it." He slouched in his chair with his arms folded across his chest.

Peering over his shoulder to the worksheet of fractions, Buffy didn't want to admit aloud, neither did she. "We'll just get your father to help you with this one." Buffy took the worksheet. "In the meantime," she pulled out a Language Arts workbook, "work on your spelling."

Taking the pencil beside the workbook, Steven stuck the tip of his tongue out as he carefully wrote his name across the top of the page.

"Honey, why are you writing your name as 'Connor'?"

"Because… that's my name," he told her.

"Last I checked your name was Steven—or my little pumpkin-belly when you're good." She tickled his sides.

Trying hard not to laugh, Steven found it impossible, "Ma, I'm too old to be your little pumpkin-belly."

"Impossible," Buffy pushed back his shaggy hair and kissed his forehead. "Still… Connor O'Connor sounds majorly weird."

"Nuh-uh, it's cool."

Buffy felt her heart swell with love for the boy and gently squeezed his shoulder. "Finish this up, I'll be back."

Buffy broke away from him, taking the math homework from the table.

She headed into the kitchen and noticed the back door to the backyard was open.

Buffy walked out onto the patio and stopped her husband sitting in a wooden Adirondack chair placed in the centre of the green grass near the swing-set.

Stepping down the wooden steps, Buffy crossed the short distance to him.

From behind, Buffy rested her chin on his shoulder and kissed the side of his neck, breathing in his scent. "Hey," she said in a soft, whispering voice.

"Hey," Angel tilted his head back, resting against her. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Snorting a laugh, Buffy rolled her eyes, "I haven't been at the gallery for _that_ long."

"Mmm-hmm," Angel turned his chin slightly towards her.

Buffy looked at him and leaned closer to kiss his mouth.

"Kiss me," he whispered with a tugging smile.

Their kiss was long, open, and slow, basking in their familiar taste.

Buffy and Angel married quietly six years before, after only four months together. They would've married sooner but it was decided to take things slow, though they knew for certain that getting married was exactly where this relationship was headed.

The transition of combining the two families was much easier than expected. The two best friends immediately accepted their new status as step-siblings.

For a while it seemed, Riley took every deployment opportunity that he could find just to get away and pick up the pieces of his heart. It was agonising to see Buffy's happiness as she embarked on a new chapter with her new husband, stepson, and Lucy. It was clear that Riley could no longer fit into Buffy's life.

* * *

After six years together, the O'Connor's couldn't be happier. Buffy knew this was exactly how it was supposed to be. This is what happiness felt like; it was with Angel and their children. Her only regret was hurting Riley the way she did.

A little sound of air escaping a pair of little lungs broke Buffy and Angel's kiss.

Buffy looked down at the little bundle nestled in Angel's arms. She pulled the tiny knitted hat covering the infant's dark hair a bit higher to see his pudgy little face.

The infant opened his blue eyes and looked around aimlessly until they landed on Angel than on Buffy.

Gently, Buffy ran the tip of her index finger down the bridge of the baby's little pert nose. "Hi, Liam," Buffy softly said, careful not to startle the newborn.

The newborns blue eyes were fixed on Buffy.

"He has your eyes," Angel said as he memorised the gentle curves of the infant's eyes that were identical to Buffy's.

"But he looks just like you." Buffy nipped Angel's earlobe with her lips. "Just like Steven—who's now going by Connor by the way… What's up with that?"

Angel chuckled, "I have no idea."

"Just as long as Lucy doesn't suddenly decide to change her name to… _Dawn_ or something… I guess we now have a Connor O'Connor."

Angel smirked giving her a strange look. "Dawn?" He chuckled. "How was the gallery?"

"Still standing."

"As I told you it would be. Love, you need to calm down and relax. Enjoy the two weeks left of your maternity leave before we _both_ have to go back to work and our alone time becomes _very_ limited. Everything will be fine."

Buffy comically pouted and buried her nose into his neck, "I know." She said. "I just…"

"What?"

"I just want everything to be perfect." She said with a shrug. "I want Faith to keep coming back, just like Njideka and Cecily… I wanted to create a place—a _safe_ place where artists could be as… unusual and controversial as they want…"

"And you did," Angel told her. "These artists keep coming back because of _you_." He looked at her.

Buffy combed her fingers through his dark hair, "I love you."

"I love you."

They shared a kiss when Liam gurgled sounds breaking another tender moment.

Buffy rolled her eyes and leaned forward to tenderly kiss the infants face. "Yes, yes, Mommy loves you, too." She pulled back and looked down at her infant son. Her eyes widened as Liam made his first real smile. "Honey," Buffy's hand went to Angel's shoulder, "he's smiling." She said in a high-pitched voice and a large grin. "Our little baby boy is so grown up now."

"He still has some time."

"But he's smiling." Buffy's heart melted with love. "Speaking of grown-up kids," she held out Steven's math homework, "I think I speak for everyone when I say, huh?"

"Damn," Angel frowned, taking the homework from her hand. "Since when do 5th graders learn fractions?"

Buffy shook her head, "I have no idea… Steven—I mean, _Connor_ is _so_ lucky to have a father who'll help him with this." She hugged his neck.

"Whoa, me? Why not you?"

"Because sweetie… I _volunteered_ you."

"Unfair," Angel frowned.

Buffy kissed his lips and stood straight, "Well, you better get to studying or our son is doomed to repeat the 5th grade for the rest of his life because _someone_ couldn't help him with his fractions homework."

"Buf…" Angel's frown deepened with annoyance.

"Give me my baby," Buffy smiled holding out her arms to take the newborn from Angel. "Hello, my itty-bitty pumpkin-belly." She kissed Liam's little pert nose and adjusted the little blue hat on his head. "You hungry?"

Angel stood from the chair letting Buffy take it as she breastfed their newborn.

Buffy looked up from Liam to Angel, who sat on a swing with his chin in his hand trying to decipher the math homework. "Is it really that hard?" She raised a high manicured brow.

"Do you want to figure this out? Whatever happened to simple addition and subtraction?"

"I think the school's goal is to make our children smarter than us."

Angel brows sunk over his eyes, "Great…"

"Mommy!" Lucy's little feet ran down the wooden steps heading straight to Buffy sitting in the chair with Liam. "I'm back!" She stood in front of Buffy with a toothy grin across her face.

Buffy reached out and ran her fingers through the nine-year old's long dirty blonde hair. "Did you have fun at school?"

Lucy shrugged, "Sure."

"Do you have homework?"

"Sure."

Rolling her eyes, Buffy wondered what Lucy's one worded responses will be when she's finally a teenager. "Did you at least have fun at your dad's?"

"Yep," Lucy said and looked down at Liam. "I'm gonna ride my bike!"

"Did you do your homework?"

"Yeah!" Lucy said searching for her helmet, which she swore she left by the swing-set. "I did it at Dad's!" She moved around the swing-set and peered over Angel's shoulder to see what he was staring at with unbreaking concentration. Her arm went around his broad shoulders and she laid her head on him, "Hi, Daddy."

Angel leaned over without tearing his eyes from the math homework and kissed the top of step-daughters head, "Hi, Princess."

Lucy took off again, after spotting her helmet in the distance.

Shifting his gaze from Lucy, Angel looked up to see Buffy's eyes on him and a small smile dancing across her face.

Angel's eyes shifted again, this time behind Buffy to the man standing at the top of the porch stairs.

Buffy frowned, noticing the darkened expression on her husband's face and turned back, to look over her shoulder to see Riley walking down the steps.

Buffy gently placed her index finger into the corner of Liam's mouth, past his gums to break the suction of his mouth over her nipple. She removed herself from his mouth and let him suck on her finger.

Carefully, she removed her finger from his mouth and placed his pacifier back between his lips. Quickly, Buffy cleaned up the split breastmilk from the corner of his puckering lips and fixed her blouse and stood, still holding the baby in her arms. She faced her ex-husband.

Riley approached her with a small smile and Lucy's backpack in his hand. "Lucy left this in the car. Her binder and lunchbox are inside." He patted his hand over the backpack. "I also left her suitcase in the foyer, near the stairs."

"Thank you," Buffy said.

Putting the backpack down, Riley felt awkward and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "So, uh, how are you?"

"Good," Buffy said.

"And the gallery?"

"Busy," Buffy said.

It took a few years for Riley to forgive Buffy for her extra material affair. She never asked for his forgiveness, never saying it aloud, Buffy knew she didn't deserve it.

For the sake of their daughter and his sanity, Riley came to terms with the divorce and his ex-wife's current and lasting relationship.

"Hi there," Riley tilted his head to the side as he smiled at the infant looking straight at him with curious blue eyes. "He has your eyes."

Buffy smiled, looking down at her son, "That's been the popular opinion."

"Oh, hi, Buffy," an attractive raven-haired woman stepped up beside Riley and placed her hand, sporting a diamond ring over his shoulder as if she was marking her territory.

Buffy returned Riley's fiancée's forced smile and said, "Hi, Sam."

Riley had met Sam a few years before. They were deployed together in South America.

At first, Riley was reluctant to begin a new relationship with someone else. A part of him was still fixated on Buffy, though she had moved on and married her lover. The other part of him distrusted women. He feared in having his heart broken again by betrayal.

Healing from his heartbreak over Buffy was hard. Especially, as he watched her in the distance appearing happy and free with someone else she was clearly wildly in love with. He hadn't seen her like that since the first few months before they had gotten pregnant and married.

Riley often wondered what would've happened if they hadn't married when they did and waited. Everything started to go wrong in their relationship as soon as they married.

His relationship with Sam was committed but he didn't think it was as serious as it was when he was with Buffy. Sure, he and Sam lived together, shared a life together, he was even in love with her but the marriage was the last thing on his mind until he found out Buffy was pregnant with Angel's child.

For Riley, the pregnancy marked that Buffy had moved on with her life. It was time for Riley to do the same and move on.

As a response to Buffy's pregnancy, Riley asked Sam to marry him and she tearfully accepted.

From afar he watched the love of his life live in blissful happiness with her lover. Riley felt a stab in his heart every time Lucy referred to Angel as, 'Daddy'. He noticed Angel was never, 'Dad'—that was him. Angel was always, 'Daddy'. Riley didn't have it in him to ask Lucy not to refer to her stepfather in such a way.

Riley opened his mouth to say something else when Angel stepped up behind Buffy. "Angel," Riley's frown deepened.

With a tugging dark smirk, Angel refrained from puffing out his chest in fear of pissing off his wife, who hated whenever he got like that, especially around Riley. He knew she still felt terrible for breaking Riley's heart. She didn't want to make it any worse by her husband gloating of being the winner of her heart.

"Riley," his dark eyes shifted to the attractive women beside him, "Sam, its good to see you." He told the woman politely.

Buffy knew the two men despised each other. For Riley, Angel was the man who had stolen his wife away and took his place as her husband. Angel was everything Riley was not. For Angel, Riley had gotten to Buffy first. Now that he had Buffy as his wife, he felt very possessive of her.

"Um," Buffy needed something—anything to defuse the tension. "Did Lucy show you her art project?"

Riley moved his glaring eyes from Angel and softened his expression when he looked down at Buffy. "No, what art project?"

"She had to use construction paper to create a landscape," Buffy said as she headed towards the porch with Riley and Sam in tow. "At least I think it was a landscape... To be honest, it was pretty avant-garde."

Angel waited a moment and followed the small group inside.

* * *

Leading Riley and Sam into the living room.

Buffy moved across the room to place the napping newborn into the crib, while Riley stepped towards the fireplace mantel.

He ran his eyes over the photographs in the frames.

The first photograph was of Buffy and Angel outside of what Riley thought was a courthouse. Angel was dressed in a black suit with a crisp white button-down shirt. Buffy wore a short white halter dress, which exemplified her tan skin and golden coloured hair that fell in waves down her back.

Ange's arm was wrapped around her back as he held her close to him. The newlywed's foreheads touched with megawatt smiles plastered across their mouths.

Riley swallowed and turned his eyes to the next photograph.

It was a family photo.

Buffy looked to be seven or eight months pregnant. Under her arm was Angel, the back of his head was against her breast. He grinned up at Lucy, who had been partially hanging on him. She made a silly face at the camera. Steven sat on his knees behind Buffy. His little chin rested on her shoulder. Buffy looked at him with a loving smile.

Riley had never seen Buffy look so happy. He felt a familiar painful strike into his heart, reminded that he couldn't give her this sort of happiness.

Riley's blue eyes went to another photograph, unsure how much more of this he could take.

It was of Buffy and Angel. Whoever took this photo was behind them and on a sort of angle. The couple sat on a bench at a location Riley recognised; the playground. Buffy's head rested on his shoulder and Angel's arm was around her shoulders and his mouth against her forehead.

"Ry," Buffy's voice tore Riley from his painful trance.

He turned his eyes from the photographs to his ex-wife. She stood in front of him with a large piece of poster board in her hands.

"Lucy's art project." She held it up to him.

Riley took the art project and Sam stepped closer to him to eye the piece with a small smile.

"She's good," Riley said trying not to appear emotional from the photographs he just looked at. He focused on his daughter. "You might need to make room for her at the gallery."

"She's already covered the wall space in my office." Buffy gently teased back.

Angel stepped behind his wife and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Without thought, Buffy placed her hand over his and gave his fingers a squeeze. She shifted her gaze up to Riley's face and felt herself leaning back into Angel, comforted by his support.

"Our little girl is an artist," Riley said with a small tugging smile.

* * *

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	14. Chapter 14

**Epilogue Part 2**

 **7 Years Later**

 **Sunnydale, California**

 **1630 Revello Drive**

 **O'Connor Residence**

 **Master Bedroom**

Feeling the bed shift slightly, Angel rolled from his back onto his stomach and partially over a body lying beside him.

In his sleep, he hummed with relaxation as a comforting hand cupped the back of his neck and fingers threaded into his hair. He buried his face into a neck and tangled his long legs around a pair of much shorter legs.

Angel felt a pair of lips lazily press against his forehead.

Tilting his chin up slightly, his mouth met a pair of lips.

Waking up from his peaceful slumber, Angel opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. His tongue slipped between her lips and gently massaged it against hers. Despite having been married for the last thirteen years, Angel always felt like he was kissing his wife for the very first time.

With eagerness, he explored every crevasse of her mouth. He moaned into the kiss as her thin, feminine fingers that were in his dark but lightly greying hair tightened.

Unlike Angel, his better half didn't appear to have aged a day.

Even at the age of thirty-seven, Buffy looked very much the same. In Angel's humble opinion his wife appeared sexier. Her hips were curvier and her breasts were fuller from having children. Her green eyes that initially attracted him were bright with happiness and Angel was determined to keep giving her.

For thirteen years, Buffy and Angel lived in perfect happiness. Of course, not everything was perfect, how could it be? They've had their fair share of arguments and their marriage was hard work, which took a lot of time and effort to keep together, but the love they've always had for each other was the glue.

* * *

Angel's mouth veered from hers and found her neck as he moved more on top of her. Her hands moved around his naked back and her legs opened wider as he settled between them.

With desire, Angel tugged the front of Buffy's tank top lower to reveal her naked breast. His mouth immediately went to her nipple. He kissed her and licked his tongue around the rosebud nipple until she gasped for air.

Mimicking the events to come, Buffy ground her centre against his hardening cock taking shape in his pyjama pants.

Her fingers went to the waistband of his pyjama pants and pushed them down from his hips until his cock was free.

Eager to be inside her welcoming body, Angel broke his teasing mouth from her breast and sat up on his knees. He watched her hand wrap around his standing erection. Angel clenched his jaw and tugged her pyjama pants from her hips and down her legs until they were completely off.

He tossed the pyjama pants aside and clamped his hand around hers that was around his throbbing shaft and guided himself to her centre.

Buffy's breath hitched in her lungs when he entered her. He muffled her soft cries by covering her mouth with his own.

Finding a steady rhythm, determined to draw out their pleasure as much as possible, Angel watched her beautiful features. Her eyes squeezed closed and her manicured brows pinched together. Her hands went around his shoulders and fingers tightened as her lips parted with a breathless moan.

He took her hand that was against his face and brought it to his mouth.

Without breaking the steady rhythm, he held her wrists in his hands above her head. His mouth kissed and licked the tanned skin of her neck then kissed her.

She ripped away from the kiss and her mouth went to his neck. She sucked the large artery and bit her blunt teeth into his skin until he groaned loudly.

He listened to her rigid breathing knowing that she was close.

He sped up his thrusts. Angel released another moan as she lifted her hips, arching her back to meet his thrusts. Keeping her arms above her head, Angel laced his fingers through hers.

Within seconds, Buffy let out an orgasmic cry of pleasure. Her fingers that were laced with his tightened.

The sound of her breathless moan of his name sent him over the edge. He split his seed deep into her body with another moan.

Coming down from their euphoric trip, Angel removed his hand that was laced with hers and cupped her cheek. He looked at her with a loving gaze. With the pad of this thumb, he traced her swollen bottom lip.

He moved off of her but stayed close to her side.

Resuming their position from before, Buffy lazily draped her arm around his shoulders, hugging his neck. Angel rested his head on her shoulder.

Looking at him, Buffy ran the backs of her fingers over his clean-shaven cheek and leaned in closer to gently kiss his lips.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The alarm clock sounded, breaking any ideas of reigniting their desires for each other.

"Mmm," Buffy moaned into their kiss with a comical pout. "Why did…" she pecked his lips, "… you…" she pecked his lips once more, "… insist on buying that…" with the tip of her tongue she ran it across Angel's lips, "… stupid thing?"

Angel smiled and pushed her long hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Because I knew it would annoy you." He teased her.

He reached behind him to the nightstand on his side of the bed and slammed his hand over the beeping alarm clock.

Laying on his back, Angel turned his head and watched his wife sit on the edge of the bed. With hungry eyes, he watched her stretch her arms over her head, unconsciously inciting him.

Unable to help himself, Angel sat up behind her and kissed her shoulder to her neck.

Buffy turned her chin to him and met his lips as they came close to hers.

"I'm cutting you off, mister," Buffy said, pulling away from his mouth. She'd like nothing more than to spend a lazy day in bed with her gorgeous husband.

"Vixen," he opened his eyes, "you tempt me with your lips." Angel leaned closer to thoroughly kiss her mouth once more, but Buffy removed herself and reached down for her panties.

Disappointed that reality had finally set in, Angel begrudgingly got himself out of the bed.

Buffy tossed her green eyes over him and ran them down his naked body.

She went over to the large walk-in closet and struggled to decide what to wear. She frowned decided to think about it in the shower.

She reached for a clean towel placed in a side closet at the entrance of the master bedroom bathroom.

Buffy turned on the water to the shower and eyed herself in the large sink mirror for a moment.

As she ran the pads of her fingers under tired eyes, Angel entered the bathroom.

Playfully, he spanked her round bottom with his hand as he made a b-line to the shower she had already started.

" _Angel_ ," Buffy whirled around with annoyance, "you hijacked my shower!"

Angel stuck his head out from glass door with a charming smile and sudsy hair, "You can join me if you want. There's plenty of room."

"Absolutely not," stubbornly, Buffy folded her arms across her chest.

"You're gonna be late if you don't." He shrugged and proceeded to continue the shower.

Buffy knew he was right. If she waited any longer than she'd be rushing around more than usual. There was already a certain amount of 'rushing' she does in the morning, tampering that balance would be catastrophic.

"Ugh, fine…" Buffy removed her tank top and slipped out of her panties. She went over to the glass door and opened it.

Angel ran his eyes over and smirked with appreciation.

"But _no_ funny business," Buffy pointedly warned him.

"Yes, ma'am," Angel agreed and took a step back to let her inside the shower.

Buffy ran her hands over her blonde hair as it soaked under the warm water.

Her skin felt a chill down her spine when Angel's hands went into her hair.

"I said _no_ funny business," Buffy frowned and closed her eyes loving the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp.

"I'm being helpful." Angel's voice purred, leaning close to her ear. "Funny business is…" he rubbed his hardening cock against her backside and kissed her soaked shoulder, "… that."

He smiled as she released a moan.

"And we're not doing _that_ ," Angel whispered, which made the hairs of her neck stand. His hands wandered from her hair, down her arms and cupped her breasts before descending down the sides of her slim body.

As soon as the suds were out of Buffy's hair was out, she reached back, cupping a hand around the back of his head and lowered his face to hers. Her mouth crushed against his in a searing and passionate kiss.

He smiled into the kiss knowing that she's forgotten herself because she had been taken over by her desires that were for him and only for him.

 **45 Minutes Later**

 **Master Bathroom**

Eyeing herself in the mirror, now ready for the day, Buffy fixed the latch of her dangling earring.

She ran her fingers through her hair, which fell in waves down her back.

Buffy then applied a soft pink shade of lipgloss.

Her gaze turned to the small bowl located on the sink counter where she designated all of her 'everyday' jewellery, like her wedding ring to go.

She frowned realising her ring wasn't in its usual place.

"Buf,"

Buffy looked at her Angel standing at the bathroom doorway holding two different ties in his hand. He was half dressed. He wore a pair of black slacks and an untucked white collared shirt.

"I've got a meeting with the Senior Partners. I want to be intimidating." He tossed his eyes between the ties. "What do you think?"

Eying the ties carefully, making her own assessment, Buffy said, "Black makes you look... FBI. I say the grey. You'll be intimidating but classy. Like James Bond or something..."

Angel smirked hoping she'd pick that tie. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Thanks, love."

Buffy smiled to herself as she watched him exit the bathroom.

 **Kitchen**

Buffy entered the kitchen and went straight to the coffee pot.

She turned on the sink faucet and to the coffee pot filling with water. Her eyes went to another designated place she kept her rings if and when she took it off to do the dishes.

Her frown deepened, the wedding ring wasn't there either.

Waiting for the coffee to brew, Buffy continued to search for her ring.

She opened various drawers the ring could have accidentally gone in, but to no avail, she was unsuccessful in her search.

Perhaps she had left it at the gallery, Buffy decided and carried on with her morning routine and opened a cabinet door to take out a mug.

Buffy went to the refrigerator and took out a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, and the loaf of bread to make her children's lunches.

Now sixteen years old, Lucy entered the kitchen. She ran her fingers through her wavy sandy blonde hair and went straight for the coffee, taking Buffy's mug that she had set aside for herself.

Buffy turned from the refrigerator to the counter island. She lifted her eyes from the lunches and looked at her daughter, sipping the coffee.

Lucy caught Buffy's look and rolled her eyes. She turned to the cabinet for another coffee mug and poured her mother a cup of coffee. She wordlessly placed it down in front of Buffy.

A ding from Lucy's cell phone rang.

"Who could you be possibly texting at this time?"

Lucy read the text message, "It's from Dad." She quickly typed something back and stuffed the phone into her back pocket. "He's coming back from his deployment next week. I told him we'd meet up at the _Expresso Pump_ or something."

" _Expresso Pump?_ " Buffy frowned. "Honey, you haven't seen your father for six months. I think he deserves more than a coffee and a scone."

Rolling her eyes, Lucy said, "Fine, we'll go to _the_ _Bronze_."

"Lucy…" Buffy's words died on her lips as she ran her eyes over her daughter and narrowed her gaze. She paused what she had been doing and held a hand to her hip.

"What?" Lucy frowned, immediately defensive knowing exactly what her mother was going to say.

"What did I tell you about borrowing my clothes without asking?" Buffy cocked a high brow.

"I didn't take your clothes!" Lucy fired back.

Buffy pursed her lips together, "Bull. You're wearing my cashmere sweater." She ran her eyes over the blue cashmere sweater Lucy was wearing. "Go upstairs and put that back in my closet please."

"But—"

"—Go." Buffy continued to prepare the school lunches and pointed her finger for Lucy to follow.

"Mom—"

"—Now."

With a heavy huff, Lucy placed the mug of coffee down and dragged her feet out of the kitchen.

"Like I wouldn't notice, pfft…" Buffy mumbled shaking her head when she heard Lucy grumble under her breath.

Steven entered the kitchen and slid onto the counter island stool with an empty bowl and a box of cereal already in front of him.

Without a word muttered, Buffy went back into the refrigerator and took out the carton of milk for him.

Yawning, the seventeen-year-old poured the cereal into the bowl and splashed milk over it. He tousled his shaggy dark brown hair, struggling to keep himself awake.

Buffy smiled to herself hearing a higher pitched voice of her youngest child coming near. Liam spoke a mile a minute with enthusiastic excitement about the _NASA_ project he'd be presenting later on in the day.

Angel nodded his head and smiled at the seven-year-old as they entered into the kitchen.

"Did you know six _million_ people watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon?" Liam asked as he climbed up the stool beside his older half-brother.

"Six million?" Angel smirked, fastening the cufflinks around his wrists. "You don't say. That's a lot."

Buffy rolled three separate brown paper bags filled with lunches. She turned to a cabinet and took out an empty bowl then poured cereal and milk.

Liam nodded his head up and down with a partially toothless grin, "And Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adrain—"

" _—_ _Aldrin,_ " Angel corrected.

Paying no mind to his mispronunciation, Liam continued, "Their footprints are _still_ on the—"

Buffy placed the cereal bowl in front of him and said, "—Talk with your mouth fill." Lovingly, she pushed his dark hair off of his forehead and moved back around the counter island retrieving her coffee.

Filling his mouth with cereal, Liam said, "… swill on the muroon."

Angel's smile widened as he fixed the grey tie around his neck.

Buffy stepped up to him. She placed the half-drank coffee mug into his hand and took over tying his tie. Angel listened to the partially one-sided conversation between Liam and Steven then turned his gaze to his wife.

"Why do people call you Connor?" Liam asked curiously after hearing a set of Steven's friends.

Steven shrugged, "They just do." He said, trying hard to keep awake.

"I want a different name," Liam said.

Looking at his younger brother, Steven asked, "Yeah, what would it be?"

Silent for a short moment as Liam thought carefully about his nickname, his expression brightened and said, " _Spike!_ "

Cocking a high brow, Steven smirked, "Spike?"

" _Yeah!_ " Liam punched his fist into the air. "It's cool!"

Angel sipped the coffee in his hand.

She fixed the collar of his shirt and straightened the tie knot.

Angel's tugging smile dwindled noticing the distracted look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Buffy pouted, "I can't find my ring."

"Oh," Angel brightened, suddenly remembering something.

He placed the coffee mug down started to walk out of the kitchen when he almost ran into Lucy, how was coming back in.

Lucy frowned watching her stepdad, who was on a mission. "What's his deal?" She asked leaning against the side of the counter island.

Buffy frowned, "I have no idea." She looked at her daughter and triumphantly smiled noticing the teen changed out of _her_ sweater and into her own.

Typically, Buffy wouldn't care if Lucy borrowed her clothing but for a while now, Lucy's been diving deeper into art as a talented painter. On the weekdays, she's been working as an intern for Faith Lehane. And after one accident with the paints, Lucy ruined her mother's ridiculously expensive pair of Christian Louboutin boots. Ever since, Buffy banned her daughter from borrowing anything of hers again.

"Here," Angel reentered the kitchen holding a little black box in his hand.

Standing in front of his wife, Angel opened the box and took out a thin, silver Claddagh ring that had previously been his mother's ring. He never gave this ring to Darla, it never felt right. But with Buffy... Angel felt that she was the only one _worthy_ of wearing his mother's ring.

"I got it cleaned." He told her and took her left hand into his own.

Buffy watched as he slid the simple ring, which symbolised their love back onto her ring finger with the heart pointing towards her.

"Sorry about that," Angel said.

With a shrug, Buffy looked up at him. "Thank you for getting it cleaned."

Angel kissed her ring as a silent response.

Fighting herself from getting lost in the vortex of his dark eyes, Buffy looked at the clock and noted the time. "Okay, guys time to go."

A honk outside the house drew Steven's attention.

He slipped off of the stool and turned to the corner of the kitchen grabbing his backpack, Hockey gear bag, and stick.

"Practice ends at six." He told his parents.

"Do you need a ride?" Buffy asked. "'Cause, I can swing by on my way home."

Steven shrugged, "Uh, I dunno. Can I let you know later?"

Buffy nodded, "Of course."

Outside the car honked again.

"That's definitely Gunn," Steven stepped back towards the kitchen entrance. "You want a ride?" He looked at his stepsister.

Lucy nodded and went into the dining room, where her backpack and sketchbook were located. She ran back into the kitchen remembering the lunches.

She took them from Angel's hands and wrapped her arm around his waist, hugging his side. "Thanks, Daddy…" she ran out of the kitchen to catch up with Steven.

"Bye, Ma—Dad!" Steven called out from the foyer.

"See ya!" Lucy said, following her brother out the door.

Still, in the kitchen, Angel rubbed his hands together looking his youngest son. "You ready to go?"

"Yup!" Liam hopped off the stool and ran to get his backpack from the living room then sprinted back. "Ready!"

"C'mere," Buffy gestured for him to come to her with her index finger. She stuffed the bag lunch into his backpack and zipped it. "You're gonna do great today," Buffy said, combing her fingers through his dark hair. "I can't wait to hear all about it."

Liam flashed her a grin.

Unable to help herself, Buffy kissed his cheek.

"Mom!" Liam pulled his head back. "I'm a big kid now!"

"Oh, sorry, Mr Big Kid," she smiled.

She stood tall and shifted her attention to Angel, standing beside her.

"Good luck today." She told him and toyed with the bottom of his tie. "I know how much you _love_ dealing with your Senior Partners."

"Wesley hopefully briefed them." He told her. "I'll call you about 'lunch'." Angel wagged his brows suggestively with a hinting smile.

"How _delightful,_ " Buffy lifted her chin higher, inching closer towards him.

Kissing her mouth, Angel savoured the familiar taste of bitter coffee coating her glossed lips.

"Mmm," she pushed him away gently with her hand, "you have to go, like now."

"Okay," he pecked her lips once more. "I love you," Angel told her.

"I love you," she breathlessly replied then looked down at her youngest son and said, "And I love you, my little pumpkin belly." Buffy attacked his cheek with tickling kisses.

Liam laughed.

With a loving gaze, Buffy watched Angel lead Liam out of the kitchen. She smiled with a light laugh as Liam proceeded to talk Angel's ear off about _NASA_ facts he had researched for his project.

Finally alone, Buffy stood in the kitchen with a coffee mug between her hands as her mind wandered back thirteen years earlier. She was a completely different person then. Who she had been then never would've predicted the life she has now. Never in a million years did she think she'd be a mother or have three children. Nor did she think she'd be married to a man she couldn't live without. Her love for Angel washed over her in constant waves every single day.

Every so often, Buffy tried to remember herself what that feeling of emotional emptiness felt like, just to remind herself of everything she has now.

It was getting hard to remember that feeling. She's lived longer in happiness than in her state of depression.

Never once in the thirteen years of being with Angel had she ever had a fleas breath of regret for choosing to be with him.

With Angel, Buffy wanted to slow everything down and relive their favourite moments over and over again. Moments like their first conversation, the excitement of making love for the first time, confessing their love, promising forever by getting married, the birth of their son, and every single moment in between, including their disputes.

Blinking from her swirling thoughts, Buffy sipped the coffee between her hands smiling to herself.

 **End.**

* * *

 ** _LEAVE A REVIEW!_**


	15. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Hiya,

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed the story! I know lately, I've been steering away from the canon but I was just trying something new 'cause I was curious about how Buffy/Angel would function in a 'real world' scenarios...

But anyway, I've been working on something else I don't think ya'll would expect... It's not ready, so until then keep on reading!

Leave a Review!

 **Peace and Love,**

 _ **P.S. Leave a review! I value your opinion!**_

 _ **P.S.S. If you have any story ideas and either don't know how to write it or just passing along the grand idea, send 'em my way! and maybe something cool will come out of it...**_

 _ **P.S.S.S. Fun Fact: For those wondering,**_ ** _"All I Wanted"_** _ ** ** _is a song by Paramore, 2009_****_

 _ **P.S.S.S.S. I swear I didn't forget about my unfinished stories...!**_


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